Young Love
by HelentheTrueHylian
Summary: A story about when Link and Ilia were young, and how they grew up together. This is basically about their childhood, and how their feelings changed as they grew. It all started by a simple friendship.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey guys! It's HelentheTrueHylian. This is my first fic, so I'm not really sure how writing these works yet... Anyway, tanks for stopping by, and please review and tell me what you think! Spanish is my native language, not English, so let me know if I have any mistakes or if there's something I have to improve on.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Zelda. It's way too awesome to be owned by me.**

**Thankyou!**

Young Love

**Prologue**

Rusl walked outside his house, carrying his lantern and sword with him. He headed towards the river, exhausted from his usual daily work. As a typical Ordonian, he worked all day helping the village people with the chores along with his wife Uli. The sun was setting already, but it wasn't dark yet. It was twilight, the time where the light met with darkness, the sun with the moon, the night with the day.

The benevolent with the evil.

For a long time, there had been peace in Ordona Province. He shuddered at the thought of his village being controlled by the evil forces that lurked in the darkness. And for some reason, he had a bad feeling.

Rusl tried to shake off his thoughts as he knelt next to the river, splashing the cool water on his face. As soon as he washed his face, he looked back at the river, which was showing the reflection of someone behind him, running. He seemed to be yelling something, and heading towards him. He turned around, confused, as he saw Jaggle running towards him with a worried look on his face. Jaggle caught up with him, and breathed heavily when he saw Rusl.

"Jaggle?" asked Rusl, standing up to turn around and face him. "Is something wrong?"

"Rusl!" Jaggle exclaimed, panting. "We need your help. Quickly."

"What is it?" Rusl was getting worried now.

Jaggle still tried to catch his breath. "Go get Bo and Uli. I'm gonna go get Hanch, Sera, and Fado. There's a woman in the Faron Woods, and she's dying. Pergie is over there already. She is really grave."

Rusl nodded. Jaggle left running, trying to look for the others. Immediately, Rusl ran back home. He burst his old wooden door and went to his room to look for his wife.

"Uli?" he called, worriedly. "Uli? Are you here?"

"What? What's wrong?" Uli came in from the kitchen, and ran to hug him.

"Jaggle says there's a woman in danger in the woods," he told her. "We need to go get Bo quick so we can help, before it's too late." Uli gasped, and went to grab her bag from the table. In no time, they were hurrying to find Bo.

As soon as they got to his house, they spilled the news. Bo instantly agreed to go with them.

"Clara?" Bo called to his wife before leaving. "Stay in the house with Ilia. I'll be right back!"

"Alright, but be careful!" Clara said, and watched Bo disappear with Rusl and Uli.

They all ran briskly to the Faron Woods to see what was going on. Still with his sword and lantern, Rusl ran ahead as soon as he saw the gate opened and the people huddling around something, or someone, at the other side of the bridge. They all crossed the bridge as fast as they could to catch up with the others. As they got closer, they could see a woman lying on the ground.

"We're here!" yelled Bo as soon as they reached the others.

"Oh, thank the Goddesses!" Sera wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "This woman is on the verge of dying."

Rusl tried to get through the crowd, and finally reached the bleeding woman on the ground. The woman was wearing a dark cloak, which covered most of her face. He examined her to find out what was wrong with her. It seemed as if someone had hit her on the head and had made her fall, but she wasn't unconscious. He could hear her breathing, or rather, trying to gasp for air. Her clothes were covered in blood, and to their horror, her neck was slightly twisted.

"Look!" Hanch pointed at her arm. She was holding something. It was bundled up with blankets, and moving.

Pergie gasped. "She has a child," she said softly.

"Quick! Someone make sure it's alive!" yelled someone from behind. Uli, without any hesitation, ran next to Rusl and knelt down to pick up the baby in her arms. Gasping, she opened the little bundle of blankets to see the little boy's face. She sighed softly. The little baby had thick blonde hair and was sleeping. He looked so peaceful and serene, and innocent at the same time; she thought he was the most beautiful baby she had ever seen. She stared at him sweetly and smiled, suddenly forgetting everything that was going on.

"Please," a choked voice awakened Uli from her gaze. She quickly turned around to see the woman looking at Rusl with sad eyes. She could see it even if most of her face wasn't visible. The woman could barely speak, or even move.

"What is it?" Rusl asked desperately, trying to help the woman. Uli went by his side to help him.

"My child," the woman managed to whisper. "His name is Link." She coughed heavily, a cough that hurt her.

"Link?" Uli said. "Oh, we need to get a doctor!"

"No," she resisted. "That won't do any good." Rusl looked down, nodding slowly. It was true, the woman was close to death, and there was nothing they could do now. Her visible injuries were too serious to be healed. Uli tried to hold back her tears as she looked at the woman with compassion.

"Take care of him, please," the woman looked at her little boy as she said this. "Or else Ganondorf…"

Uli turned her gaze towards him again. The poor baby, she thought. He would never meet his mother, now that he's orphaned. Not knowing who this Ganondorf person was, she sighed sadly, and held on to the little one.

"We will," said Rusl, sadness in his voice. The woman managed a weak smile, and a tear ran down her cheek.

"Thank…you," she said with all of her strength. Then slowly, she turned her head to the side and closed her eyes. Her breathing stopped, and when Rusl put his hand on her chest, he couldn't feel any heartbeat. He sighed, and turned to the others, shaking his head. Sera started crying again, and put her head on Hanch's shoulder while he comforted her. Uli stood up slowly on her feet with Rusl, keeping the baby secure in her arms.

"Link," she said softly. "I'll take care of you." She smiled at him, and ran her fingers through his hair.

Rusl shook his head sadly, and looked back at the woman. Her cloak was covering her face, so he decided to at least see who this person was. Very slowly, he lifted the woman's head and removed the hood, revealing who she was. From behind the crowd, the villagers gasped in shock. This was something no one had expected, and everyone was stunned in surprise when they realized how powerful she was.

"Th-the queen?" Bo stuttered. Rusl and Uli just couldn't believe it, and neither could the rest of the people. Uli looked back at her arms to see the child she was holding. Gasping, she realized that she was actually holding the prince, such a powerful baby. Her heart sank at the thought of him growing up without knowing anything about his life, or about his twin sister, since everyone knew that the queen had given birth to Zelda too. Link looked like he already was seven or eight months, but still so little.

Suddenly, very slowly, he moved his little eyes. Blinking, he finally managed to open them completely and stare at Uli. His eyes were sky blue and beautiful, and Uli simply stared back. His face must've been carved by the very goddesses, she thought. Link looked around, trying to make visual contact with the others. He saw Rusl, and gave a little happy yelp. Link had that adorable little smile on his face that would make anyone want to hold him and protect him and love him. Rusl smiled, and hugged Uli by her back. He would be a father now. Link wouldn't be his biological son, but he would still love him as his own. It hurt him to see his mother die tragically and to think that the boy would never know her, but he knew that he would be taken care of now, with a future. With a family.

With hope.


	2. Chapter 1: The Basket

**Chapter 1: The Basket**

Uli closed the door behind her quickly, still carrying the little bundle of blankets in her hands. She sighed, leaning against the door as she remembered what had happened just a few minutes ago. Rusl was helping Bo and the other men take the woman, or rather, the queen, to Castle Town.

"I can't believe she was the queen," Uli kept repeating, over and over again while she walked in circles around her house. "I should've acted more properly!" She stopped, and glanced at the child in her arms, for a moment forgetting he was there. Link's eyes were wandering around the room, just looking around.

"Oh, Link," Uli sighed. "I just hope you forgive us in the future." She went towards the ladder that led to the storage room, and carefully dropped down on the floor. Maybe there was something in her basement that could be used as a cradle for now, and then she and Rusl could build one together. She searched around, moving piles of boxes and knocking down old ornaments, trying to find something.

After a few minutes, she spotted something old and rusty hiding between some of the furniture. Uli raised her eyebrow, and took it out from the mess it was in. She examined the dirty old piece of furniture she was holding, and realized it was a basket. Actually, it was a really big basket.

Perfect, she thought. Poor Link, he would be sleeping in a basket for the next few days!

"Hmm," Uli said to herself. "Well, at least it's temporary. I hope Rusl and I finish the cradle soon." Uli took the basket with her and went upstairs to the living room again. She placed the basket on the table, and took some sheets from the bed to fill it in. Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door.

"It's us!" Sera's voice called. Uli hurried towards the door, and quickly opened it to find Sera, Pergie, and Bo's wife, Clara, waiting outside.

"Hey," she greeted. "Come inside." The three of them flew inside without hesitation, and immediately sat down on a couch.

"You have him!" Clara gasped, pointing towards Link. Uli smiled, and looked down at him.

"Can I see him?" Sera and Pergie begged. Uli laughed, and sat in between them. She removed some of the blankets that were covering his face, and lifted him right in front of them. Link stared at them, and then at Uli. His expression was a little worried, since he wasn't used to so many people staring back. Sera, Pergie, and Clara dropped their jaws and gasped.

"Uli!" Pergie exclaimed. "He's so cute!"

"He's adorable!" Sera stated. Uli just laughed in agreement.

"I love him already!" Clara said. "What's his name?"

"Link," Uli answered. "His mother told me before she…" Uli trailed off, feeling a lump in her throat. Clara nodded in understanding. They all sighed at the memory of the dying woman in front of them.

"It's so sad, isn't it?" Pergie said quietly. "He'll never meet his real mother."

"And to top it, his mother turned out to be the queen," Sera said, looking down.

"This is going to cause a huge commotion in Castle Town," Uli said. "I wonder how the people will react."

"Or the king," Sera said. "Or the guards, or the servants, or the rest of the royal family, or—"

"Wait," Clara cut her off. "Didn't the queen have two babies?" The rest suddenly stopped talking.

"It's true," Pergie exclaimed. "Didn't she have another girl? Link's twin?"

"Zelda?" Uli asked. They all nodded, recalling.

"But there's something I don't understand," Clara said. "What was the queen doing at the Faron Woods without guards, all by herself? And why was she with Link? What about Zelda? Did the king know about this?"

"Whoa, stop," Sera said. "Those are a lot of questions we might never know the answers to, but I agree with you. Why was queen here?" They all pondered about the subject, suddenly intrigued by it, bewildered.

"It's strange," Uli said. "But I guess everything happens for a reason."

Clara nodded. "Who knows what the goddesses are planning. They know what they do."

"Of course," Pergie agreed. "Who knows where this child's destiny leads." They all just sat for a moment, thinking and over thinking about everything, while Clara held Link in her arms. Uli was already tired.

Suddenly, a bird, a dove, flew swiftly inside the house through an open window, and landed right on the table, startling everyone. It was carrying something with its little talons. Sera jumped, and Pergie gasped at the unexpected visitor's arrival. The bird flapped its wings, and dropped what it was holding in front of it.

"Look," Uli said, leaning over to grab it. She opened the paper. "It's a letter from Rusl!"

"What does it say?" Clara asked anxiously.

Uli quickly read the letter over. "They're not coming back until tomorrow morning." Pergie and Sera sighed sadly, and Clara gave Link back to Uli.

"He says that it's too late at night, and Hyrule is dangerous at this time," Uli told them, skimming through the letters. "So they're staying in Castle Town until tomorrow. He'll tell us everything when he comes back."

"Well, at least we know they're safe," Clara relaxed, and stretched lazily.

Sera yawned and leaned against the side of the couch. "I'm so tired. Maybe I should get going."

"Me too," Pergie said. "I'm falling asleep already."

"Why don't you all stay here for tonight?" Uli suggested. "I don't know, but I think it's better if we stay together for a while, since the men aren't here."

"I can't," Clara said. "I have to go back and take care of Ilia. This is as long as I can leave her in the house alone, but at least she's asleep."

"Don't worry about it," Uli said warmly. "But the rest of you can stay if you want."

"Thanks, Uli," Pergie smiled. They all thanked her, and tried to find a place to sleep. Sera took the couch, Uli slept in her bed, and Pergie slept on the other couch. Link had to sleep on the basket, which Uli didn't like. But there was nowhere else, so she had to wait until she got that cradle done.


	3. Chapter 2: The Present

**Chapter 2: The Present**

"I'll beat you!" yelled Ilia, as she ran through the village as fast as she could towards the running river.

"No, _I_ will!" Link yelled back, trying to catch up with her. They both giggled as they tried to get past each other, and soon made it to the little bridge where Uli was washing her clothes, shaking her head with a smile at their games. Panting, they both sat down on the cool grass and wiped off sweat off their forehead.

"Tie?" Ilia said with a smile. Link nodded in response, and lay down next to the flowers.

"What have you two been up to now?" Uli asked playfully while she rinsed her shirt.

"We were racing," Link told her.

"Yes," Ilia said. "We decided that whoever won would get to see Fado's present first!"

"What present?" asked Uli.

"Fado said he would give us a present for our birthday," Link told her. Ilia nodded with a grin. Coincidentally, Link and Ilia were born on the same day. Ilia's birthday was the very same day of Princess Zelda's birthday, and since Link was his twin sister, it was his birthday too. Whenever their birthday came, the villagers would always make a party for both of them and give them their presents. Since they had been best friends since they were toddlers, they enjoyed their parties and always had a great time together.

"Oh, I thought someone was turning six tomorrow," Uli teased. "Why don't you kids go to my house and eat something? You must be tired from running all day."

Link and Ilia walked to Uli's house feeling excited about tomorrow's party. Link didn't live in Uli's house anymore. The villagers were impressed that at such a young age, he was already asking Rusl to help him build his own little tree house. They all knew Link was way too smart for his age. It wasn't very big, but it had enough space for a bed, bathroom, kitchen, and closet to fit. Both of them had built it together, and he was already insisting to make it his house, since he knew Rusl and Uli weren't really his parents. Rusl had decided to tell him since he was little to avoid trouble in the future. If Link grew up thinking they were his parents, who knows how he would react when he was older when he found out the truth? It would be too painful or confusing. Besides, since he was little, he didn't get affected by such news yet.

The two kids walked inside and went to the kitchen for some goat milk, which was what most Ordonians drank. They poured each other a glass and sat on the fuzzy rug on the floor where some of Link's toys were scattered on the floor.

"What do you think Fado's gift will be?" Ilia asked Link, who was taking a big gulp of milk.

"I don't know," Link said as he wiped his mouth. "But he said it would be big. And he was keeping it hidden in the stable."

"Really?" Ilia's eyes widened. "How do you know it was in the stable?"

"It has to be there," Link told her. "Today I went to see the goats, and he told me to stay away from the stable because there was a surprise in there."

"What if it's an animal?" Ilia said, grabbing a toy horse from the ground. She examined it curiously. "Like a pet! If the present would've been smaller, he would've kept it in his house."

"Maybe," Link said with a smile. "Like Jaggle and Perie's dog?"

"Maybe," Ilia answered, returning the smile. "Well, I don't know. But what I do know is that I love horses!" She made the little toy horse do back flips and whinny.

…

"Happy birthday, Link!" Sera and Hanch called and waved from their house, smiling happily. Sera placed her hand on her stomach. Recently she had found out she was pregnant; about two or three months had gone by since she had discovered it. Link grinned at them and waved back as he walked through the village. He wanted to get to Ilia's house soon so they could see Fado's mysterious gift.

Jaggle and Pergie congratulated him on the way, and Link just waved back and smiled a "thank you" smile. He passed Rusl and Uli's house. Uli was sitting on her front steps, knitting some clothes for the kids. She lifted her head and saw Link, a smile flashing across her face.

"Oh, happy birthday, Link!" she exclaimed as she got up and gave him a hug. Link returned the hug, feeling happy that Uli cared so much about him. Uli loved Link like she would've loved her son. Her affection for him was just like a mother's, and so was Rusl's.

"Thanks, Uli," he said joyfully. They hugged again, and Link saw Rusl coming from behind her. He smiled when he saw Link, and they all ended up in a small group hug. Link then ran towards Mayor Bo when he saw him come out of his house.

"Happy birthday, Link," Mayor Bo greeted Link happily. "You're practically a young man now!" Link laughed at his joke, knowing he was only six and very far away from being even a preteen.

"Is Ilia there?" he asked him. He couldn't wait to see his best friend and meet with Fado.

"Yes, she's inside," Bo told him. "But she's still changing. Maybe you should wait outside." Link nodded and did as he was told. It took a few minutes of waiting, and then Ilia came outside with a beaming face.

"Ilia!" Link shouted, at the same time as Ilia shouted "Link!" .They both laughed and gave each other a hug, saying Happy Birthday. They talked about random stuff for a while when Fado came up to them.

"Hey, kiddos," he said. "How are ya doing?"

"We're great," Ilia told him. "When are you giving us the present?" She started jumping up and down excitedly. Link grinned in excitement too.

"Not yet," Fado said, and laughed. "But don't be upset! I promise I'll give it to you at the party."

"Oooh, I can't wait!" Ilia exclaimed. "I bet it's gonna be big!"

"Me too!" Link joined her. "Let's go talk to the others about the party." Ilia nodded, and they both went to talk to the villagers while Fado headed back to the ranch to finish up rounding the goats.

…

Ordon Village was busy the whole afternoon. Everyone was getting ready for the party, and they were all helping put up the stuff. Jaggle and Hanch were getting the long table ready with the cloth and the forks, knives, and plates. The table was right in the middle of the village, in front of the river. Every time Ordon had a celebration, the table was used, and everyone fit. It was perfect for the people, and they always had a great time. Sera and Pergie were getting the food and cake ready, Fado was helping Rusl with the cleaning, while Uli hung the decorations and made the place look nice. Link and Ilia helped everyone with something, amused by how wonderful the place looked.

As soon as everything was ready, they all sat down on the long table. The women brought the food and placed it on the table, and everyone started to eat as soon as they saw the plates with their yummy dinner. There was chicken, meat, bread, salad, pumpkin, water, milk, beer for the grownups, and more. Everyone was hungry, and the food looked delicious, so it was gone quickly. Link and Ilia ate theirs hungrily, and later played with the chicken bones, pretending they were swords. They would just basically make anything up. The grownups chatted and laughed the whole night, and the kids played while everyone else went on with their own topics. They were mostly waiting for Fado's present.

"Time for the cake!" Uli announced when everyone was finished. The villagers got even hungrier, since they knew the cakes Uli made were the best ones in town. Uli came outside from her house, carrying a long tray with a big, fluffy white carrot cake. It was covered in vanilla fudge, and it said: "Link & Ilia" with orange icing. Their mouths watered, and Uli placed the cake on the table. Everyone started singing Happy Birthday, while Link and Ilia smiled at everyone. They looked at each other, already deciding they would get the biggest piece. And they did, since they were the first ones to get caked when Uli sliced it. They immediately started with it, and, as expected, it was delicious.

"Hey guys," the two of them looked up to see Fado standing in front them. He motioned for them to come, so they both stood up. Link grabbed Ilia's hand, and both of them followed Fado, who was taking them to the ranch. The kids exchanged thrilled glances, since they knew he was going to show them the present. They walked eagerly uphill until they reached Ordon Ranch, where Fado was unlocking the gates where the goats were in. They were still outside running and eating grass. The three walked in and passed the goats, still excited about what they were about to see.

"Over here," Fado called them, and they followed him in the stables were the cows were. He quietly opened the door, and walked inside. Ilia went after him, and Link followed behind. They turned the lights on, and went to the other end of the stable where some empty stalls were. Or at least they _thought_ they were empty. Fado grinned, and led them to the last stall, opening the door.

Ilia gasped, and Link's eyes got wide as they looked inside. Right in front of them was the most beautiful little foal Link and Ilia had ever seen, almost a newborn. It was covered in a coat of red-brown hair, and its mane was a gleaming white, with jet black almond-shaped eyes that shone in the moonlight. She was kneeling on the floor with her head resting on the wall. Ilia leaned in closer to get a better look, and the little horse looked up, startled. Link leaned in with her, and just stared at her, admiring the baby horse's beauty.

"So, what do you think?" Fado told them. "She was born about a week ago."

" Fado!" Ilia exclaimed. "She's beautiful!"

"She is," Link agreed with a smile. "Can she go outside?"

"Maybe tomorrow," Fado told him. "She's pretty tired right now." The two kids couldn't believe that Fado was actually giving them their own horse. Ilia loved horses more than anything else, and Fado knew it, so he thought they deserved this kind of surprise. Link went inside the stall slowly, not wanting to scare her. She turned her head towards him, staring deeply into his eyes. Carefully, Link leaned in closer and knelt down next to her. The foal didn't move, not breaking her gaze. Link smiled, and reached his hand out to pet her mane. When he did, the horse whinnied softly, and instantly nuzzled into Link's body. Ilia was fascinated by this, and went inside to kneel next to Link. She rested her hand on the foal's mane too, and started petting her. The horse looked at Ilia and moved towards her to nuzzle into her too. They both instantly loved her, and she loved them.

"Looks like she likes you two," Fado stated. "How are you naming her?"

"Hey," Ilia turned to Link. "Do you remember the legend Rusl told us about the brave hero that saved Hyrule?"

"Yes," Link nodded.

"What was his horse's name?" Ilia asked him. Link cocked his head to the side, trying to recall the name.

"I think it was Epona," he said.

"Let's name her like that!" Ilia said. They both agreed that it was the perfect name for her, so it was decided. They kept playing with her until the party was over; just Link, Ilia, and Epona.


	4. Chapter 3: The Monkey

**A/N: Chapter 4! Finally. It's been a lot harder to update now. I'm sorry if I took too long School is really stressful. I'll try to keep writing as soon as possible, but it's going to take a while. But I'll try my best **

**And thank you for the reviews! They inspired me to keep on going :D**

**Chapter 3: The Monkey**

"Whoa, that's cold!" Ilia yelled when she dipped her toe in the cool water of Ordon Spring. She had come with Link to wash Epona after going to the woods. Epona whinnied happily; she was now 2 years old, just a young yearling.

"It's not that bad," Link said, grinning. He shook his sandals off, and ran inside the spring, splashing the water everywhere. "See?" He went to the mini waterfall and splashed water on his face.

"Fine," Ilia sighed, and smiled. After all of these eight years, she had grown very fond of Link. They were still little, but she couldn't help but like him. Link had been her best friend since they were babies, and she had developed a crush on him about a year ago. But she wouldn't dare to tell him.

Ilia ran inside the spring, and Epona followed behind her. She squealed when she finally got to the waterfall, and Link laughed at her. It was late fall, so the weather was getting cold. December was almost coming.

"I knew you'd make it," Link said, and walked towards Epona to stroke her mane. He grabbed the brown, rusty bucket from the floor and took out a soaked sponge. Gently, he rubbed it against Epona's legs. Fado had always told him to start with the legs, and then rinse off the rest of the body. Ilia stood up and went to help Link wash Epona. She grabbed another sponge and rubbed it against her body.

"I'm starving," she said. "What time is it?"

"I don't know, but I'm hungry too," Link said. "Next time we go to the woods, let's take something to eat."

Ilia nodded. "Should we go tomorrow?" she asked.

"Go where?" Link and Ilia jumped in surprise at the sound of a new voice. They turned their heads towards the entrance of the spring. Rusl stood there with his usual friendly grin, leaning against the small gate. He walked towards the kids, who relaxed when they saw it was just Rusl.

"We're planning on going to the woods," Link said, smiling back. Rusl looked at him, and his smile faded. It turned into a slight frown.

"The woods?" he said, raising his left eyebrow. The kids exchanged confused glances, and looked at Rusl, puzzled.

"Yes," Ilia said, carefully. "Is there something wrong?" Rusl shook his head.

"I don't think you kids should be hanging in the woods anymore," he told them. "I don't feel like it's a safe place."

"Why not?" Link asked him. Now he was confused. "We've always hung out there at this time, and we're fine."

"I know, Link, I know," Rusl said. "But trust me, don't go. I have a bad feeling." Rusl didn't really expect the kids to understand him completely, of course, since they were only eight years old. But for some reason, he felt like they just needed to stop going there. That's what his gut told him, and he always trusted his intuition.

"But there's nothing wrong there," Link protested. "We always stay close."

"And Coro always helps us!" Ilia said.

"Kids, listen…" Rusl tried to cut them off.

"We can't be forbidden!" Link said. "Since we were little…"

"Just listen to me, Link!" Rusl scolded him. "Don't go to the woods anymore, period!" Link and Ilia immediately shut his mouth, knowing better than not to argue any further. They never liked seeing Rusl angry, especially at them.

Link looked down in disappointment. "Okay," he said quietly. Ilia nodded, and looked at Link. Link raised his head and looked at her with sad eyes. She just gazed, admiring how cute he looked.

"Understood?" Rusl asked as if to make himself clear. The kids quickly nodded, and looked at each other in bewilderment. "Good." Rusl turned around and left the spring, feeling a little guilty for not letting the kids play in their favorite spot anymore. But he knew it was the right thing to do. He would never put them in danger.

The sun was setting already, so Link and Ilia decided to go back home. Ilia put the sponges back inside the buckets, and carried them on the way back to the village while Link led Epona. It was almost dark; twilight. Link shuddered, suddenly feeling a little nervous about Rusl's warning. Why had he banned them from going to the Faron Woods? There was nothing wrong there. They were always greeted by Coro, anyway, and they didn't go too far north. Rusl usually didn't shout like that; he must've been really serious about the issue. Link glanced behind his shoulder, suddenly feeling uneasy. Something wasn't right, he thought. There was nothing behind him. For some reason, twilight wasn't really his favorite time of the day; it always gave him a weird feeling.

He turned around slightly, just to check. He couldn't help but feel there was something behind him. Shaking his head, he stared straight ahead again, trying not to think about it. There couldn't possibly be something following them, he thought. Ilia noticed his uneasiness, and wondered what was wrong with him.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You look a little nervous." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm fine," Link said, not wanting to worry her. He gulped, but kept on walking. He wasn't scared, but he just had this _feeling._ For some reason Link was kinda fearless. He could be frightened or startled, but not scared. It was just something in him that shouted "courage".

"Are you sure?" Ilia asked again.

"Yeah, don't worry," Link kept telling her. He didn't want to scare Ilia about something that was in his mind.

They reached Link's house, finally. The sun had already set completely, and there were no lights on.

"I'll leave Epona here," Link said. He led Epona to the big tree next to his house, and left her there. She usually slept there, shaded by the shadows the leaves casted.

"Okay," Ilia said, smiling. "I'm going now. My dad must be wondering where I am."

Link sighed, sad to see his friend leave. He really liked Ilia, and he felt like she was more than a friend to him. But he wasn't sure if Ilia felt the same about him. They were little, anyway.

"Good night," Link smiled sadly. "Say hi to your dad for me."

Ilia nodded. "I-" Suddenly, she jumped as she heard something nearby; it sounded like wind shaking the leaves. Startled, she went to Link's side, wondering frightened what could that be.

"Do you hear that?" she whispered to Link. Ilia looked at the bushes across from them. Something was moving there. Something alive.

"Yes," Link nodded, frowning. He took a step forward, and walked slowly and cautiously towards the rattling bushes. Wondering what the heck could possibly be hiding there, he grabbed a stick from the ground. It was the nearest thing he could find, after all.

"What is that?" Ilia asked in a worried tone. She gulped as the bush stopped shaking. It was quiet now, except for the small breeze that whirled around them.

"Shhhh," Link told her. "There's something in there." He could feel her shivering. The silence was broken when the bush started shaking again. It was shaking faster now, and faster, and faster, and suddenly something immediately jumped in front of them.

Ilia screamed in fear, and backed away quickly in surprise. Panting quickly with terror in her eyes, she got behind Link and gripped his arm. She felt like he was some sort of protector. Link backed away too, startled, but sighed as he saw what had come out of the bushes. In fact, he kinda smiled.

"Ilia," he said. "It's just a monkey."

"What?" Ilia peeked from behind his back. She sighed in relief, and wondered how stupid she must've looked in front of Link when she screamed at the sight of a _monkey_. The monkey looked at Link, and at Ilia, then at Link, then at Ilia, and then at Link again. He (or she) started jumping up and down playfully, screeching and making monkey-like noises. It turned around, still jumping, in circles, going around the two of them. Then it left running, or hopping, taking the path to the Faron Woods.

"Hmm, I thought I'd heard Hanch and Jaggle talk about a monkey causing trouble," Ilia said.

"I did too," Link told her. Supposedly a troublesome monkey had been stealing food and other things from the villagers. He had never seen it, until now.

"Well, at least now I know who ate the pumpkins Pergie was growing outside her house," he said. Ilia laughed, remembering Pergie's reaction when she found out her pumpkins were completely gone, and saw the monkey nibbling on the last piece. Boy, did she freak out.

"Well, I'm leaving now," Ilia finally said, when she really wanted to stay there the whole night talking with Link. "Goodbye, and goodnight." She smiled and waved.

"Goodnight," Link said, returning the smile. He waved back, and she turned away and left through the gate that led to the village. Link sighed at the sight of seeing her go; he wanted her to stay with him. But her dad would've been worried, so without glancing back, he went back to his house.


	5. Chapter 4: Beth and Talo

**A/N: So, I noticed that last chapter was too short… Sorry about that This chapter's kinda short too, since I was only planning on introducing Beth and Talo, but I promise the next one will be longer! (and better…)**

**Chapter 4: Beth and Talo**

"Whooaaaaaa, watch out!" yelled Fado. "Another goat got loose!" Bo turned around, and saw the huge goat running towards his house. The villagers scram and quickly went to look for somewhere to hide, afraid that the goat might run into them or attack them. Whenever goats got loose like that, it meant they were either angry or scared, but not in a good mood. Link, who was fishing in the river with Ilia, noticed the commotion that was going on.

Ilia looked at him, and then back at the people. The goat had escaped, running towards the exit of the village in the direction of the woods. The villagers calmed down, and got out of their hiding places now that the goat was gone, but they were still wondering why the goat had become so violent.

"What do you think happened?" Ilia asked Link as she aimed the fishing rod towards a small greengill.

"I don't know," Link said. "But the goats usually don't leave the ranch."

"Hmm," Ilia said. "Maybe they just…"

"Fado!" Mayor Bo's voice interrupted their conversation. They both turned their heads towards Ilia's house, and saw Fado running towards it. He stopped to catch his breath, and started talking to Bo.

"Should we go see what's going on?" Link asked Ilia, standing up.

"Sure," Ilia said, and she got on her feet, leaving the fishing rod on the floor. They both walked silently towards her house, and hid behind the fence where the cuccos were being kept. From there they listened closely to the conversation.

"I've told you many times already to try to control those goats," Bo was saying, shaking his in disappointment.

"Yes, I know," Fado said, still panting. "But it wasn't my fault."

"You're supposed to be watching them, Fado!"

"It was the monkey!"

"Huh? What monkey?"

"The monkey! The one that's been causing trouble all over the village."

Link and Ilia looked at each other worriedly, and then went back to listening.

"But what about the other goats?" Bo asked.

"I locked the ranch gate," Fado answered. "So they wouldn't get out."

"But you need to find out what caused this first," Bo told him. "You can't just lock them up! Who knows what they could be doing?"

"I know, but…"

"Monkey!" Sera's two year old daughter, Beth, yelled. Link and Ilia immediately turned around and saw the monkey running from the gate of the ranch towards the village. Talo, Pergie's one year old son, started pointing at it and laughing.

"Grrr, that monkey!" Ilia said, huffing her breath. "Let's go get him! Or her." She stood up and got ready to chase after it.

"No, we can't," Link said, pulling her by the shirt so she wouldn't run. "Remember what Rusl said?"

Ilia stopped, remembering. "You're right." The monkey disappeared in the direction to the woods. Link stood up, and they both walked away from the fence, heading towards Epona. She was sitting near the river, drinking water. The monkey had left already, leaving the villagers angry because of the trouble it was causing.

"Huh, no wonder the goats went crazy," Ilia said. She started petting Epona's mane, and Epona whinnied softly.

"Yeah," Link agreed, and petted Epona too.

"Link! Ilia!" The kids turned around and saw Uli walking towards them. Uli was pregnant, so she walked a little slowly. In a few months she would have a baby boy.

"Hi, Uli!" they both said, waving. Uli smiled at them, and they noticed she was holding Beth by her hand. Beth was holding Talo by the hand, and they were all walking together.

"The babies want to play with you," she told them. Ilia rolled her eyes, and Link groaned.

"Hi Link!" squealed Beth, who was learning to talk already. She still had trouble learning words, though.

"Do we have to?" he asked.

"Yes, you do," Uli said, and laughed. "I know you two don't really like spending time with babies, but they won't stop pointing at you two, and they only stop crying when they see you." Beth let go off of Uli's hand and ran towards Link. She reached her arms up so he would carry her, not caring whether Link was strong enough.

"Please?" Uli asked. "Everyone else is busy." Link nodded and gulped. Talo ran towards Ilia, and did the same Beth was doing.

"Okay," Ilia said. "But only for a while."

"Thank you," Uli smiled again, and then left for her house, leaving the kids in charge.

Link looked down at Beth, and decided to finally pick her up. It's not that he didn't like the babies; he just got annoyed when they wouldn't stop crying or when they wanted everything their way.

"Hi Ilia!" Beth squealed again, and waved her little hand at her.

"Hey, Beth," Ilia answered, and picked up Talo, or at least tried to.

"So, what do we do now?" Link asked her. "Should we go to Pergie's house and find some toys?"

"Nah," Ilia said. "Let's just…"

"Toys!" Beth exclaimed. She started waving her arms around like crazy, trying to catch Link's attention.

"Calm down, Beth," Link told her. "We're heading there." They both went to Pergie's house with Beth and Talo giggling all the way. Ilia sighed, and kept rolling her eyes whenever Beth's grip was too tight on Link. Beth would obviously have a big crush on Link when she grew up. Apparently, everyone liked Link.

"Well, let's just hope Uli's baby isn't crazy like these two," Link said as he knocked on Jaggle and Pergie's door.

Ilia laughed at the comment. "Yeah, let's hope that."

"Link!" Beth said, pointing at Epona. "Can I wide on da pony?"

"Only when you're older," Link told her. "You could fall."

"You wide with me!" she exclaimed, grinning.

"Oh," Link said, looking down as he thought of what to say. He could see Ilia trying not to laugh at him. "But Epona's tired right now, so we can't ride her."

"Okay," Beth sighed sadly. "Anotha day."

"Yes, another day," Link agreed. Ilia started laughing, and Link gave her a "save me!" look. She just shrugged and smiled, then kept trying to survive with Talo.

"Why don't we get them to sleep?" Ilia asked. She was really getting tired already. "Let's tell them one of those stories that Rusl and my father read to us."

"The ones of the goddesses and the legends of Hyrule?" Link asked her. "They won't understand them; they're babies."

"Exactly," Ilia groaned, smiling at the same time. "They'll get bored and fall asleep."

"Umm, Ilia," Link said, trying to loosen Beth's grip. "Help, she won't let go." He tried to struggle for freedom, but Beth wouldn't let go off him. Ilia just laughed.

"Okay," Ilia whispered back, and went to the rescue.

"Hey Beth!" she said. Beth turned around to look at her and beamed. "Will you come here for a sec?" Beth immediately let go and ran towards Ilia. Link sighed in relief, and smiled at her.

Ilia seemed to keep her distracted for a while, and then she went to sit with Link. The two babies seemed to be having fun together, throwing their little toys around.

"I need a break," Link groaned, and he threw himself on his back. Ilia joined him, and threw herself on her back too. They both just lay on the ground and talked.

"I really wanna go to the woods, you know?" she told him. "But Rusl won't let us."

"Yeah," Link agreed. "I miss playing there." They both sighed.

"No, Talo!" Beth yelled. "Come back!" Link, confused, sat back up to see what was going on. His eyes widened at the sight, and quickly nudged Ilia so she would get up.

"Oh my goddesses!" Ilia shouted, and they both ran towards the river. Talo was crawling towards the edge, and he was about to go inside. His hands were touching the water already.

"Talo, stop!" Link yelled, almost reaching him. Talo turned his head towards them, but just kept on crawling. His elbows were already touching the water, and the current was getting a little stronger.

Ilia finally reached him in time, and picked him up so he wouldn't go any deeper, then took him to a place far away from it. Sighing in relief, she placed him on the ground, and Link did the same with Beth.

"Well," Link said. "We wouldn't make good babysitters."

Ilia agreed. "Do you think the grownups will be angry at us if they find out?"

"Yup," Link nodded sadly. "They sure would." They both sighed, and just tried to keep them busy.


	6. Chapter 5: The Woods

**A/N: Last chapter wasn't the best, I know…nor the longest. Sorry if it got boring at some parts But I really got inspired in this one, so I'm hoping it'll be better. And it's longer too! **

**Chapter 5: The Woods**

"Where do you think that monkey could be?" Ilia asked Link. They were both sitting down next to the ladder to Link's house, watching over Talo and Beth, as usual. The babies seemed distracted by the horse and hawk grass anyway, blowing it and giggling.

"In the woods," Link said without hesitation. "It always comes from that direction, and always runs away towards it."

"I'm going to catch it," Ilia said, sighing. "Someday, I will. Even if I have to go to the woods."

"Well, I'm sticking to what Rusl told us," Link told her. "Even I feel uncomfortable near the woods now."

"Really?" Ilia looked at him. "Why?"

"I don't know," Link answered. "It's weird." He wondered why Ilia wanted to catch that monkey so much. Was it really causing that much trouble? And she was sounding really serious about it.

"Link!" Beth called from over the flowers. "Epona like my muthic!"

"What?" Ilia asked, not understanding anything she said.

"She says Epona likes the music," Link "translated". "The one the horse grass makes."

"Oh," Ilia said, understanding. Beth and Talo both ran towards them with their faces beaming. They each took a hand from Link and a hand from Ilia, trying to get them to stand up by pulling them.

"What is it?" Link asked them.

"Come!" Beth told him. "Let'th go to my houth!"

"We can't go to your house right now," Ilia said. "Unless it's to drop you off." Talo looked at Ilia with sad eyes. In fact, he looked at her with _really_ sad eyes that would make anyone feel guilty.

"Beth! Talo!" called someone from the entrance of the town. They all turned and saw Sera, waving at the kids. Beth, just by the sight of her mom, immediately ran towards her. Talo, always after Beth, followed obediently behind her.

Sera picked Beth up, and looked back at Link and Ilia. "Ilia, your father says you should go home already. And Link, Uli wants you to go home too. It's getting late."

Ilia sighed sadly. "Okay." She stood up and sadly waved goodbye at him, running towards Sera. He waved back too, and watched her disappear with Sera, carrying Talo.

Link brushed Epona's mane carefully, petting her as he did so, which she responded by whinnying softly. He was alone in the spring with Epona, just giving her a quick bath after running around with her in the ranch. The only sound was the live waterfall behind him and the running water. After that, nothing else was there. Everyone was in their houses, resting after working so hard during the day, and Ilia was with her dad.

"Looks like we're the only ones who aren't taking a break, huh, Epona?" he said, addressing his horse. Epona whinnied again as in response. For a second he thought it sounded stupid to be talking to an animal, but there wasn't anyone near, so he decided Epona would make a perfect company.

"I wonder what Ilia's doing," he thought out loud to himself. He really wanted to spend more time with her, and wondered if she wanted to do the same. By now, he was clear with himself that he had a crush on her. If only Ilia thought about him that way too…

"Nah," he shook his head. "It's not like he's going to like me just because I like her."

Epona snorted, as if she understood what Link was saying. She nuzzled into him, and he kept petting her.

"Oh well," Link told her. "Maybe things will change when we get older? And maybe the forest won't be so weird anymore." He still shivered at the thought of going inside the forest. What could possibly be there that was so dangerous or scary? He just didn't understand why Rusl took it so seriously. He sighed at his thoughts, and kept brushing Epona in the calm, silence of the spring.

A loud _CLACK _made Link suddenly jump up, startled, and freeze in his place. He nervously looked around to see what had made that noise, and glanced at the entrance of the spring. Epona whinnied, and Link quickly got behind her to see what was going on. Without hesitation, he shot a daring look towards the entrance, unsure of what he would see. He heard monkey noises from a distance, and also the sound of running feet. Was someone chasing the monkey? He raised an eyebrow, and peeked through Epona's head.

His eyes suddenly went wide at the sight of the monkey running towards the Faron Woods, with Ilia chasing after him.

Ilia was going to the woods.

Link couldn't believe it. He started panting, and running his hand through his hair. _Should I tell Rusl? _He thought. _What would he say? What do I do?_ But he couldn't stop listening to his instincts.

"I have to stop her."

As fast as he could, he grabbed Epona's saddle and placed it on her back. He adjusted it, and quickly got on top of her. Epona whinnied nervously, not really sure why Link wanted to ride her at this time. He knew Fado only let him ride her in the village, but he had no choice.

He felt brave. He felt like he just had to get in that forest and follow her before something happened to her. The second he was on Epona's back, he pulled the reigns, and headed towards the woods. Epona trotted faster and faster every time Link motioned for her to do so, whinnying and trying to keep up with a quick pace.

"Hiya!" Link yelled when they crossed the bridge, pulling the reigns again to stop her. He scanned the area, making sure he didn't miss anything. Who knew where Ilia was at this point? Maybe she was already ahead, near the cave. But just in time, he spotted something moving in the distance. A blond head was just leaving the Faron spring, and the monkey noises were getting closer. They were moving fast.

"Hiya!" Link yelled again, and Epona immediately responded to his master by chasing Ilia and the monkey out of the spring. Epona kept trotting in the same direction, trying not to go too fast because she got tired easily, since she wasn't a full grown horse yet. They went straight forward, without stopping, until they finally reached Coro's house. Luckily, he was sitting there, as usual.

"Coro!" Link called as soon as he saw him.

"Hey, kid!" Coro waved with a grin. "It's been long since I don't see you." Epona trotted forward slowly, whinnying. Link waved back. He pulled the reigns and stopped, dropping his feet on the ground.

"Hi," Link said, a little impatiently as he walked towards him.

"Hey, before you go any further," Coro told him. "I just want to warn you, these woods have been getting more dangerous every time. Blue, ugly, monsters and other strange creatures have been appearing in the north."

"Have you seen Ilia?" he asked him worriedly.

Coro noticed his uneasiness, and raised an eyebrow. "Why? Was she here?"

"Yes," Link nodded hurriedly. "I saw her."

"She really shouldn't be here!" Coro said, lowering his voice cautiously. "It's dangerous! But she couldn't have gone far; I closed the gate that led to the north part of the woods, but the one that leads to the cave is still open. Maybe if you stay here and I go check- Hey! Hey, come back! Where are you going?"

Link didn't even let him finish his sentence when he dashed right out of there and headed straight to the gate, running as fast as he could. He couldn't lose any more time; what if something happened? What if one of the monsters got her? Whatever happened to her, he had to take her home. He wasn't going to let anything harm her.

Epona whinnied loudly, trying to get Link's attention. He turned around quickly, and noticed she was following him.

"Epona, you can't go any further," Link told his companion. He petted her muzzle, and sighed. "I'll be right back with Ilia." He gave her one last quick pet, and ran inside the gate, following the monkey noises that were heard from inside.

Inside the cave there was no light. Everything was pitch black; it was impossible to see. Link squinted as he tried to get his eyes adjusted to the room, walking slowly and carefully in the complete darkness. He cautiously moved forward, trying to at least get a hint of what was in the room, when suddenly, he noticed something glowing. Carefully, he walked towards the shinning object on the ground, and picked it up. A lantern. Perfect.

_Maybe Ilia dropped it when she came?_ Link wondered. Now that he had enough light, he ran through the cave, and got closer to the monkey noises coming from it. As he ran, Keese swatted all over him, baring their fangs at him in challenge. Link ignored them, and just kept running towards his objective. He suddenly stopped in surprise when, out of nowhere, a big Deku Baba burst out the ground before him. Link instinctively jumped back, and almost did a backflip. The Deku Baba lunged forward to bite him, but Link quickly dodged, and ran deeper into the cave, leaving the plant behind. He kept running and running until he stopped and widened his eyes at the sight.

He was in the only lit area of the cave, and right in front of him was the monkey, climbing the wall. Ilia was right behind it, trying to climb it too. But the monkey was going higher and higher each time, and Ilia kept climbing.

"Ilia!" Link yelled as loud as he could, his voice echoing the cave. "Stop!"

Ilia turned her head around, and gasped, but decided to ignore Link. She kept climbing, not wanting to listen to Link's warning. She knew she could catch the monkey, and she just had to do it, but Link knew it was too dangerous. At least the other end of the cave was closed, and only Coro had the key.

"Ilia!" Link tried again. "You need to get down!" Ilia didn't listen again, and continued climbing. But all of a sudden, she lost her grip. Her hand slowly slid from the rock she was grabbing, and her feet started slipping from the wall. She started panicking, gasping and panting at the thought the she was going to fall. Her hands started getting sweaty, and they kept slipping from the rocks. Link, noticing what was going on, ran towards her.

"Hold on!" he shouted. "Don't let go!"

"I-can't-" Ilia tried to breathe, but right before she tried to grab on, her hands slid completely, and she was falling down for sure.

Ilia was falling.

Link immediately reacted, and jumped towards the wall in an attempt to catch her. Ilia screamed, and then fell hard on top of Link. She had landed flat on top of him, squishing him on to the ground. Her body hurt all over, and the throbbing pain in her head was intense. She tried to gasp for air nervously, and started to panic even more. The pain was too much, and her body rolled to the ground as she tried to sit up.

Link, when he was free, tried to sit up too, panting. His body hurt, but he was glad Ilia hadn't landed on the hard ground. He winced in pain, but remained strong.

"Ilia," he said, barely whispering. She looked at him right in his eyes, feeling the pain spread through her body, and fainted.

"No," Link tried to say, but only mouthed it. He sighed tiredly, and tried to stand up. He _had_ to stand up and take Ilia back as fast as he could, before it was too late. Who knew how severe her injuries were, or if she had grave wounds. He had to take her back to Mayor Bo. Fast.

Link got up finally. He stumbled towards the unconscious Ilia, almost tripping as he walked. Ilia didn't move at all, so he bent down, and with all his strength, carried her in his arms. He struggled to keep her from falling, not caring if his body ached. He knew it was the right thing to do. So he ran. He ran with all his might back to the entrance of the cave, through the darkness that entrapped it, not caring whether his feet were killing him, or his muscles were giving in. He just hoped he could make it in time.

The Deku Baba burst in front of him again, but he paid no attention to it and just ran. He passed through the flying Keese, and ignored all the mice and other bugs that were crawling around. If he didn't get to Ordon soon, something really bad could happen to Ilia.

Finally, he saw a light. Feeling relief and confidence, Link ran faster and faster towards it. _I'm going to make it,_ he thought. _I know I can_. He used the last of his strength to get out of the cave, finally reaching the entrance. The relief he felt was like something he'd never felt before, so he just sighed, and kept going.

But as soon as he caught sight of Epona, a huge creature jumped before him. Link jumped back again in reflex, glaring at the monster in front of him. It was one of those blue monsters Coro had described to him; a Bokoblin. It had a white hair-like thing coming out of his head, and it was carrying a weapon. The Bokoblin got closer to Link, and Epona whinnied nervously from behind. Link stood there, weaponless. What would he do now? He was in pain, with his body hurting, carrying a girl his age who was as wounded as him, and there was a monster right in front of him, ready to lunge at him at any second now.

The Bokoblin glared back at Link, and rapidly ran towards him, raising his weapon up high. Link had to think quickly. He had to escape before the monster killed them both. So he got ready, and when the Bokoblin reached him and hit him, he ducked and ran forward. The Bokoblin, confused, had his back on him. Link couldn't miss his chance, so he kicked his back as strong as he could, and ran towards Epona. The horse whinnied at the sight of her master and mistress, and bent down. Link carefully placed Ilia on Epona's back, with her head resting against Epona's mane. Link got on Epona, and pulled the reigns, in which Epona responded to running as fast as she could.

In no time, they were crossing past the Faron spring, already leaving the woods. Link tried to hold on to Ilia and make sure she didn't fall, and just kept on grabbing to Epona. He was tired and injured, but he had to fight back against the pain, knowing that Ilia's life depended on it. Epona dashed across the bridge, making it to the entrance of Ordona Province.

"Keep going!" Link managed to gasp, clutching his stomach when he did so. It hurt to even _talk_. Epona whinnied again, and flew past the Ordon spring, finally reaching the village. Link's house was just a few meters away, so they knew they were going to make it. The closer they got to the village, they noticed that many villagers were outside their houses; they seemed to be worried. Epona hurried inside, and stopped right when she got to the river that powered Jaggle and Pergie's waterwheel. She bent down to get a drink, giving Link a chance to get down.

"Link!" Uli's voice was heard from a short distance. Link, clutching his arm, tried to get down Epona, still struggling in pain. It was almost impossible for him to walk, since his muscles were almost completely worn out. He tried to stay on his feet, and picked Ilia up again, his body aching intensely.

Rusl, Uli, and Bo were all running towards Epona, Link, and Ilia. Uli gasped, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Link, confused, looked down at himself. There were nasty cuts on his arms, his clothes were torn and dirty, and his legs had some blood. He didn't know how bad he looked until now.

"Link, what happened?" Rusl immediately asked, his voice urgent.

"Ilia!" Bo cried, taking her daughter from Link's arms. "What happened to her?" They were all worried, almost shaking at the sight of the kids barely alive.

"Link? Are you okay?" Uli asked him worriedly, like any mother would. "Tell us what happened! You're hurt! Oh, I hope it's not too grave!"

Link weakly raised his hand as if to say, I'm fine. But he wasn't. The pain was too great. But before dropping his hand, his eyes widened as he saw a bright light emerging. The light was coming from the back of his hand, and slowly, he saw the shape of a triangle-like figure appear. A triforce. He had never before felt so much pain.

"I-" He tried to say softly, but collapsed into Uli's arms. He couldn't bear it anymore. Uli frantically held Link, and was as nervous as she's ever been, her body shaking.

"Link!" Uli shouted. "Link!"

Rusl picked Link up, and called out. "Fado! Get a doctor! But hurry!" Fado did just as he was told without hesitating. Bo, shaking, hurried back to his house with Ilia, and Rusl and Uli went back to their house with Link.

They hoped it wasn't too late.


	7. Chapter 6: The Dream

**Chapter 6: The Dream**

_Link opened his eyes weakly, squinting at the bright light shining right on his face. He raised his hand to cover his eyes from it, and tried to look somewhere else. The light then stopped beaming, and he lowered his hand cautiously, wondering what in the world it could be. Confused, he looked around the room, glancing at every direction he could. Right in front of him was a beautiful palace probably bigger than Hyrule Castle; he was sitting on the cool grass of a colorful garden. There were flowers everywhere, all kinds of flowers, and tall trees with long branches that were rich in leaves and fruits. In front of the castle was a fountain with crystal clear water that sprouted out vividly. _

_The fountain had a sculpture of three women holding their arms up high above their heads. One was red, one was green, and the other was blue. They each had a triangle-like shape carved on their forehead, and looked very familiar._

_Link shook his head in bewilderment. This had to be a dream; none of this could possibly be real. The place was too beautiful and peaceful to actually exist. All around him, he could hear soothing melodies that filled the place with peace and serenity, as if someone were singing. He had no idea what the place was, but he hoped he could stay there forever._

"_Young hero." Link, startled, stood up on his feet, looking around him. He turned around at the sound of the sweet voice, and froze in surprise, his eyes wide._

_Before him, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen was standing, smiling warmly at him. Her skin was the palest of greens, and her long, voluminous hair was a bright green, and floated around her waist. She was wearing a long, beautiful dress that landed right on her bare feet, and her face was flawless, with her eyes the color of emeralds._

"_Wh-who are you?" Link asked nervously, but softly, admiring her beauty. "Where am I?"_

"_Do not fear, hero," the woman replied calmly, the smile never leaving her face. "For you are safe here."_

_Link sighed, and relaxed. "What is this place?"_

"_This, young one, is the Sacred Realm," she told him. _

_Link couldn't believe it. It was just like the stories he had heard about the garden and the castle and the realm and the goddesses. Rusl had talked to him about the Sacred Realm already._

"_So, are you…" Link stopped when realization hit him like a rock. Without thinking, he dropped on his knees in front of her._

"_Yes, child," the woman told him. "There is no need for bowing. You can stand on your feet." Link nervously stood up, not wanting to disappoint her in any way. He couldn't believe who was standing in front of him._

_She smiled again, and spoke. "I am Farore. Goddess of Courage from the land of Hyrule." Link stared in awe, shook his head to clear his thoughts. He had to act strong right now, the goddess herself was standing in front of him!_

_Bo had books in his house that talked about Din, Farore, and Nayru, the goddesses of Hyrule. Sometimes he would lend some to Rusl, and he would read them to him. Bo would also tell stories to Ilia and him._

_Ilia._

_Link quickly remembered everything that just happened a moment ago. He ran his hand through his hair, wondering what could be happening to Ilia right now. Was she safe? Was she still hurt? What if it was too late? Did he make it in time? What would Bo think? What about Rusl and Uli? What was going on?_

"_Do not worry, child," Farore said, reading his thoughts. "The girl is safe and alive. You saved her life."_

_Link calmed down, and stared at the goddess. He had saved Ilia's life?_

"_So, am I dead?" he asked her._

_Farore laughed. "No, young hero, you are alive as well. If it weren't for you, Ilia wouldn't have survived. You are strong. Courage shouts within you." She lifted her hand, showing Link the back of her palm. Right there was a golden triforce, shining in front of him. _

_Link understood now. He lifted his hand too, and noticed that the same triforce was on the back of his hand, just like her. _

"_Why do I have it?" Link asked her, still not sure of what it was._

"_You are the chosen one," Farore said. "A great destiny awaits you, brave one."_

"_But, what does it mean?" Link asked again, confused. "Is that why you call me 'hero'?"_

_Farore nodded, smiling. "Correct. You are the chosen hero, my child. Soon, you will understand more of it. But right now, just by doing everything you could to save the life of the girl, you proved yourself strong."_

_She smiled at him, and this time Link smiled back. "Well, Ilia is my best friend." He was about to say something more, but suddenly, and melodious voice stopped singing. The fountain stopped sprouting water, flowers begun withering, and the palace started disappearing. Everything seemed to fade out, and the whole place just started to vanish._

"_I know," Farore laughed. "You are a very caring, brave, and humble boy. Just wait until the day arrives, and you will find out what your fate is. You will meet your real family, and find out what your destiny it."_

"_But, when will that be?" Link asked her hurriedly, not wanting to leave. His real family? He had never thought about it._

"_Be patient, Link," Farore assured him. Her spiritual image started fading away too, along with the realm that disappeared before him._

"_Wait, don't go-" But it was too late. She was gone._

"Link?" Uli asked softly, placing her hand on the boy's forehead. "Are you awake?"

Link's eyes slowly started to open, just to find himself looking at Uli's face. Her expression seemed tired and concerned, but at the same time relieved that he was awake. He looked around the room, trying to remember what had happened. He was in Rusl and Uli's house, lying on their bed. Everything had happened so fast, his head still hurt. Without really thinking about what he was doing, he struggled to sit up, but gave out a weak cry of pain whenever he moved.

"Take it easy," Uli told him, trying to get him to relax. "You're still hurt. Don't move too fast." Link blinked, trying to get his eyes adjusted to the light. He still didn't feel the strength to move, but he really wanted to get up.

"Is Ilia okay?" he managed to ask weakly.

Uli smiled at him, and put her hands on her lap. "Yes, Ilia's fine. Don't worry. She isn't unconscious anymore."

Link sighed in relief, and smiled tiredly, remembering his dream. He couldn't believe he had just talked to the goddess in his dream; it all seemed so unreal. But what if it wasn't only a dream? What if it was meant to be?

He lifted his right hand and stared at in awe. Right on the back of his palm, a golden triforce was tattooed, symbolizing the courage of Farore. It had all actually happened.

Uli raised her eyebrow at him. "What's that?" She took Link's wounded arm carefully and stared at the three triangles that had been formed. Link wasn't sure whether he should tell Uli about it or not. Should he keep it a secret? What if Farore preferred that he didn't tell anyone?

Luckily, he was saved by the sound of the front door opening. They both turned their heads towards it, just in time to see Rusl walk inside.

Rusl looked over to where Uli and Link were, and smiled instantly at the sight of Link awake.

"Link!" Rusl said, walking towards them. "You're okay!" He sat down next to Uli.

"We were so worried about you," Uli told him.

"I'm okay," Link assured them, smiling back at both of them. "Just a little hurt."

"Just a little?" Rusl asked in surprise. "Your wounds were very deep, and so were Ilia's. We were lucky the doctor came in time. He's at Ilia's house right now."

"Fado had to send a message to Castletown," Uli explained. "Luckily, the dove flew just in time to deliver the letter."

"I'm sorry," Link told them, looking down. "For causing so much trouble."

"Don't say that," Uli said. "It wasn't your fault."

"Bo told us the story," Rusl said. "When Ilia woke up, she told him everything that happened, and then he told us." Link widened his eyes, and dropped his jaw. What it Rusl was angry at them for not listening to him?

"You were very brave, Link," Uli smiled at him. "We couldn't believe it. But she only told her father what happened before she fainted. Coro told us the rest."

Link blinked at the news. "Coro? How does he know?" Did he stop by the village to talk to them? How did he know what happened?

"He was watching everything," Rusl said. "He saw you run out of the cave covered in sweat, blood, and dirt. When he tried to stop you, he said a Bokoblin appeared in your way. But when he was about to attack you, you hit it and got on Epona. Then you left."

Link had never expected Coro would be watching him. He couldn't believe it, so he just smiled.

"You should rest," Rusl told him. "It's been a long day for all of us. You were unconscious for almost a day. But don't worry, if you sleep well and give yourself time to recover, you'll heal in no time. That's what the doctor said."

Link nodded, understanding. "Okay. But when will I see Ilia?"

"Hmm, maybe in a few days. But it'll be soon, she'll probably recover before you do," Uli answered, but quickly added that when Link looked at her with pleading, anxious eyes. Link sighed in relief, happy that Ilia wasn't as injured as he had been. He closed his eyes, realizing her was more tired than he thought. Slowly, he drifted into sleep, hoping he would dream of Farore again.

Almost a week had already passed since the day they went to the woods. Link and Ilia had both separately recovered quickly, and were feeling much better than before. Link had been staying in Rusl and Uli's house, since they were taking care of him while he was still healing. But soon after a few days were gone, he was ready to go out again.

Link was excited to see his best friend again, and couldn't wait to go outside and smell the fresh air of Ordon like he used to. It seemed forever since he had gone to the woods, but now he was happy that everything was like it used to be. Now that he was going to Ilia's house, everything would be fine.

He opened the door and headed outside, walking towards Ilia's house. The villagers smiled as he walked by, admiring Link. Rusl had told everyone about how Link saved Ilia, and everyone had been impressed and proud of Link. Link, of course, didn't know, so he was a little confused when people smiled at him when he walked by. Well, he thought it was because they were happy he had gotten better. So he just smiled back. He got to Ilia's house, and eagerly knocked on the door. The door opened, and Mayor Bo came out. He smiled at the sight of Link.

"Hello, Link!" he greeted. "You're looking a lot better. Ilia can't wait to see you."

"Hello, Mayor," Link answered with a smile. "Thanks, and I'm really happy to see Ilia again." In fact, he was practically dying to see her, but he couldn't tell him that.

"Well, come on in!" Bo told him, motioning for him to come inside. Link walked through the door and into the kitchen, where he sat on the table and waited.

"Link?" someone called from upstairs. He looked up at the sound of his name, and smiled. Ilia was smiling at him from the stairs, and she quickly got down to greet him.

"Ilia!" Link practically exclaimed when he saw her, feeling happier than he thought he would be.

"I'm so glad to see you," Ilia sighed with a grin, admiring how cute Link looked.

"So am I," Link said, smiling shyly. They both sat down on the table, and waited as Ilia's dad went to the other room. As soon as he left, they were both silent, but Ilia then broke the silence.

"Link," Ilia started, but trailed off. She looked down at the floor, a little embarrassed, not knowing how to start.

"What's wrong?" Link asked her.

"I…" Ilia sighed, and felt a knot tie in her throat, but tried to keep talking. "Oh, Link." She covered her face with her hands, tears forming in her eyes. Suddenly, she was crying softly, almost sobbing.

"Are you okay?" Link walked to her and sat next to her. He put his hand on her shoulder in comfort. "Don't cry."

"Link, it's all my fault," Ilia wiped her tears from her eyes, and looked at him. "If only I had listened to you, none of this would've happened. It's all my fault."

"No, it's not," Link told her calmly. "Don't worry about it, Ilia. It's okay, really." He hated to see his best friend sad.

"No, it's not okay," Ilia kept insisting. "You warned me not to go to the woods, and I didn't listen. I went after the monkey, thinking I could catch her. But then I fell, and you risked your life to save me."

Link looked down at the floor, understanding how she felt. But during that time, he wasn't a bit concerned about his own well-being; he had only cared about Ilia. He looked straight into her eyes.

"Ilia," he told her. "I don't care if I got hurt; I followed you because I wanted to. I had to make sure you were safe. Besides, I can't believe how I would've done without my best friend." He handed Ilia a tissue, which she thankfully took and wiped her nose. She smiled at Link's comment, and blushed slightly.

"Really?" she asked softly. "But, you could've died…"

"No," Link said. "_You_ could've died. And that's what I wanted to stop." Ilia was now blushing more, and just staring at the floor. Link was also turning red, and trying to look somewhere else where it wouldn't be so awkward.

"So, Rusl and Uli aren't angry at me?" Ilia asked him, nervously.

"Of course not," Link said. "They were very worried about you." He looked back at her, and smiled. Ilia smiled back, feeling better now that she knew that Link wasn't angry at her. They both just stayed quiet for a while, unsure of what to say.

"How are you kids doing?" Bo broke the awkward silence by entering the room. Link was a little relieved, and so was Ilia.

"We're good," Link replied nonchalantly. Ilia quickly tried to wipe her eyes and nose so her father wouldn't know she had been crying.

"Yeah, we're okay," Ilia managed a weak smile, and tried to sound casual.

"Good, good," The mayor said, nodding. Then, he turned to Link. "Link, can I talk to you for a second?"

Link was a little surprised by the question, since Bo didn't usually ask these types of things. He had no idea what Bo wanted to talk about. But he just stood up and followed him to the other room. Ilia was probably thinking the same, because she just shrugged.

They both went inside and shut the door behind them. Bo cleared his throat, and sighed, his back turned to the door. Link, confused, tried to make the moment less awkward.

"What is it, Mayor?" Link asked him.

Bo turned around and faced him, and spoke slowly. "Link, you know Ilia could've died that day, if you hadn't shown up." Link suddenly knew where the conversation was going, and nodded. Bo seemed, sad.

"It was nothing, really," Link said, a little low.

"Nothing?" Bo nearly shouted. "_Nothing?_ Link, you saved my daughter's life by risking yours! How could that be _nothing?_" Link took a step back, looking at the floor. He understood completely how Bo must've felt like, almost losing his daughter. He had no idea what to say, so he just stood there waiting for Bo to say something.

Bo placed his hand on his scalp, and shook his head. "Link, I'll never be able to repay you the favor. I owe too much. Please tell me how to thank you, Link. I could've lost my only daughter. Just losing my wife was enough pain."

Now _this_ got Link's attention. Surprised, he shifted his gaze to Bo's face, and realizing he was almost, crying. Link had never seen the mayor like this before, so it was really surprising. Link opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by him.

"Tell me what to do, Link," Bo told him, or almost pleaded. "There has to be a way."

"It's not necessary, sir," Link insisted. "I mean it. I did it because I wanted to." Bo was surprised now, not able to realize how a kid his age was so smart.

He was about to say something, when Ilia's head suddenly popped out of the door. They both nearly jumped in surprise, but relaxed when they saw it was Ilia. She shyly walked in, wondering if she had interrupted something.

"I'm sorry," she said, walking towards them. "But Rusl's here. He wants Link to go home already."

Link sighed, not wanting to leave. He had just arrived, and now he was going back home. Why couldn't he spend more time with Ilia? Bo sighed too, and motioned for Link to come with him to the door. They slowly went inside the kitchen, and saw Rusl sitting there on one of the wooden chairs, waiting for them. He smiled when he saw them.

"Hello, Bo," he said, standing up. "I'm here for Link."

Ilia sighed sadly, and looked at the floor. She really, really, really wanted Link to stay.

"I'm sorry," Rusl continued, noticing both of the kids were upset. "But both of you need to rest. Remember you aren't fully recovered yet."

"Rusl's right," Bo agreed. "You should both rest." The kids looked at each other sadly, not wanting to say goodbye. But Link knew Rusl was right, so he walked towards the front door with him.

"Goodbye," he waved before leaving. Ilia waved back, and then shut the door and he left.


	8. Chapter 7: The Secret

**A/N: Chapter 7! Finally! I can't wait for school to be over -_- I'm going out on May, so I have the whole June and July to write! Yay!**

**Also, thank you so much, again, for the reviews! **

**Chapter 7: The Secret**

The whole village now knew about what Link had done. Whenever he walked by, they would all wave or smile at him, and he would just smile back. Link had always been modest; he had never liked showing off or bragging. Everyone was proud at him, and impressed by everything he had been through. They were also glad and very happy that both of the kids were safe. Even Beth and Talo clapped whenever Link walked by, and they would giggle excitedly, like every baby would. He and Ilia were both now fully recovered, and everything was like it was before.

"Wow, you've turned into a hero, Link!" Ilia happily said. They were both kneeling down in front of the river, helping Uli wash the clothes and do the rest of the chores. Uli was supposed to do it, but since she was pregnant, she had to rest more. Link laughed, and then remembered his dream about Farore. She had called him a hero, and in that moment, he had felt like one. He smiled at the memory, hoping he would have that dream again.

"Yeah, it's no big deal," Link modestly said, not wanting to get too much into the subject.

"It is too a big deal," Ilia insisted. "Everyone knows about what you did! They're all proud of you!"

"Yeah, well," Link softly tried to say something, but didn't know how to finish. He slightly blushed at the attention, and looked down at the floor like he usually did when he was embarrassed.

Ilia laughed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you." She smiled shyly too, and rinsed one of her shirts in front of the water, making sure it was ready to be dried.

"It's okay," Link said as he scrubbed his shirt with soap, trying to remove that red, juice stain that had been there for a while ago already. He glanced at Ilia and smiled, happy that they could see each other again. Of course, they wouldn't be able to play in the woods anymore, but at least everything was how it should be.

Except for the fact that there was now a triforce on the back of his palm.

Without letting Ilia know, he secretly raised his hand a little to look at the three golden triangles tattooed on his hand again. Could it really mean something much greater than what he thought? Was the goddess trying to tell him something? What did being a "hero" mean? Should he tell anyone about it? Maybe Rusl or Uli? They were his protectors, after all. But he didn't feel like it was right. Who should he tell? There had to be someone he could trust and that would help him.

What if he told Ilia?

Link gulped at the thought of this, not really sure if he should tell anyone at all. But Ilia had been his best friend since forever, and nobody knew him better than she did. She actually knew more about Link than Rusl and Uli! And it made sense, because they spent more time together than hanging out at their houses.

Link looked over at Ilia, who was folding the dry clothes into neat piles next to her, humming to herself as she did so. He sighed, admiring how pretty she was. He really couldn't imagine how his life would've been like without her. Still feeling nervous, he decided. He was going to tell her; Ilia was the only person he trusted. So he cleared his throat, wanting to catch her attention.

"Ilia," he said slowly. "Can I talk to you?" He looked down at the floor again, trying to choose his words carefully.

"Well, we are talking," Ilia smiled at him. Her tone quickly changed when he saw Link looking at the floor, and since she knew him so well, she knew that he always did that when he was nervous or embarrassed. "What's wrong?"

Link quickly looked back up at her, hoping she didn't notice how he was feeling. "Nothing's wrong, except…" He looked around, making sure no one was looking. "I need to tell you a secret."

Ilia nodded, understanding instantly. "Let's go somewhere else, then, in case someone hears you." She scanned the place quickly like Link had, and quietly, stood up. Link got up from his knees too, and they both headed to the back of Ilia's house. No one was there, so they knew it was the perfect place. They got there as fast as possible, trying to make sure no one knew they were there.

Without looking back at his hand, Link decided to get it over with. "I need to show you something." He gulped again, praying no one would hear him.

"What is it?" she asked calmly, not really sure what to expect.

Link sighed and, without thinking it over, he raised his hand in front of her, the back facing her. The triforce glowed brightly, shimmering under the sunlight. Ilia gasped, and covered her mouth in surprise. What was that bright light emanating from Link's hand? Was it something special? Her eyes suddenly widened as really realized what the shape of the mark was, and it hit her. Could it be? No, it couldn't. Or maybe…

"W-wait," Ilia stuttered. "I-isn't that the symbol of the goddesses? The one that was on the books my father reads to us?"

Link nodded, glad that Ilia remembered the stories. "Yes. It's the triforce." Ilia was now in shock. She couldn't believe Link had a triforce on his hand! Did it mean something? It just couldn't be! She thought it only appeared on really important people or people chosen by the goddesses. Unless…

"H-how did y-you get it?" she tried to wake up from her shock. "And when?"

"Well, it's a long story," Link started, but was immediately cut off by her.

"We have time!" Ilia suddenly said, wanting to know everything. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay," Link agreed, and told her. He started from the part he remembered from the night he fainted, about how he saw the light coming from his hand, and then he told her about his dream. He tried to give her as many details as possible, while she just stared at him in awe, still not being able to believe it was actually real. Ilia nearly fainted when he told her about Farore!

"So," Ilia said. "Farore actually appeared in your dreams, and told you everything?" Her mouth went wide open.

"Yes," Link told her. "She explained everything." He nodded slowly, trying to give her time to take in all the information he had just given her.

"But, what did she mean about your 'real family'?" she asked, confused.

Link shook his head this time, as puzzled as she was. "I have no idea."

"Hmm," Ilia wondered, leaning on a fence. "Weird."

"Well," Link said, joining her by leaning on the fence too. "I _do _know that Rusl and Uli found me when I was a baby, but that's about it. I know nothing about my real parents." He sighed sadly, staring down at the floor. Ilia felt so sad for him; it must be terrible not to know who your family is.

"But, you'll find out soon," Ilia looked at him with a smile, trying to make him feel better. "I know it."

Link looked up at her, and smiled back, glad that he had a great friend like her. "You really think that?"

Ilia nodded without hesitating. "Of course. Someday in the future, you'll find them. The goddesses must have something planned out for you already." She turned around, facing the village as she leaned against the fence. Nobody seemed to know they were there. Link turned around too, both of them staring out to the peaceful town.

"I hope so," Link said quietly, resting his head on his hands. What could the goddesses be planning? Was he meant for more than this? Everything seemed so confusing. He sighed, trying to clear his mind. He would understand someday, or at least that's what Farore had told him. And it _had_ to be true. But he would have to wait. He just hoped it wasn't for long.

Night fell quickly, and the villagers had already gone home to rest. Link was helping Uli at home, since it was hard for her to do things now and needed more attention. He was more than willing to help, of course, and helped her like she was his own mother. But he knew she wasn't.

"Um, Uli," Link started, walking towards her with her glass of water. "Can I ask you something?" He handed her the water she had requested, and she smiled in thanks.

"Sure," she told him, and took a drink. "What is it?" Link sat down next to her on the kitchen table, not sure how to start.

"Did you ever, you know, by any chance, meet my parents?" Link asked carefully. Uli stopped drinking, and lowered her glass. She looked at Link in surprise, not expecting the question at all. Sighing, she tried to clear her head and think about how she would answer the poor kid.

"Link," she said, not knowing how to tell him. "Why do you ask me this?" She looked at him sadly; she definitely couldn't tell him his father was the king of Hyrule, and she really didn't want to tell him his mother had died.

"Because, they're my parents," Link answered. "I think I have the right to know about them." He looked right at Uli, waiting for an answer.

Uli sighed, and closed her eyes. "Well, how can I tell you this?" She reopened them and gazed into Link's blue eyes. "I, uh, met your mom when you were younger."

"How young?" Link asked.

"A baby," Uli said, smiling at the memory of the cute little baby she used to hold in her arms. Now, he was a grown boy. "I met you when you were less than a year old."

Link raised an eyebrow, and cocked his head to the side. "But, why didn't my mom keep me? Didn't she like me?" His sad expression just broke Uli's heart in half.

"No, no, don't say that," she tried to make him feel better, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Your mother loved you so much. She didn't give you to me because she wanted to. She _had_ to."

"But, why?" Link was still confused at everything, and was desperate for an answer. Uli sighed, and swore she was going to regret this. But he had to know; he was right. For being nine years old, Link was very smart and understood things she couldn't imagine.

"Link," she said, hesitantly. "Your mother passed away the night we found her."

Just by hearing this, Link widened his eyes in shock. His mother, dead? She was never alive? All hope he had for meeting her was lost now? And he never even saw her, never heard her voice, never knew her. He was looking down at the floor, still stunned. How could she have left him at such a young age? Didn't she know how he would feel when he grew up?

"H-how?" he stuttered, looking back at Uli.

Uli just couldn't stand to see him sad, such a torturing look on his face. She put her hand on Link's back and pressed him towards her, hugging him in a warm embrace. Sighing, she just hugged him, not wanting to see him like this.

"I don't know," she barely whispered. "We never knew. But you were lucky we found you." She stared deeply into his eyes, but could only see a little boy's heart shattered into pieces that would hurt to step on. They were pieces of glass that were bleeding inside him without comfort.

"Did you try to save her?" Link asked her, his voice soft.

"It was too late," Uli answered. "She told Rusl and me to take care of you, and that your name was Link."

"And, what was she like?" Link wanted answers right away.

"Blonde, blue eyes, her hair was straighter than it was curly," she cocked her head to the side, recalling the moment. What was the queen like? "Oh, her skin was white, and she was very pretty. She looked at lot like you."

Link smiled, already imagining how she must've looked like. "What was her name?"

"Oh, her name," Uli thought before answering him. Well, her name was very common, and he didn't know that was the queen's name. "Annika. Her name was Annika."

"And, what about my dad?" he asked.

"Hmm, your dad." Now she didn't have any answer for him, since she hadn't really met him. "I didn't meet him."

"Oh," Link was a little disappointed for not having an answer this time. "Okay, then. But at least you met my mom."

"Yeah, at least," Uli agreed, and looked at him sadly. "Link, I'm so sorry I had to tell you."

Link looked down, and sighed. But then he looked up at her, and smiled. "It's okay. Thank you for telling me. It was what I wanted to know." He stood up from his chair, and dusted off his pants.

"You're welcome," she answered, and smiled. "Are you going somewhere?"

"No," Link told her, and leaned against the chair. "I'll stay here and help you. You deserve it for doing so much for me."

"Link, you're so nice," Uli told him. "Thank you. You don't have to, though."

"But I want to," he insisted. "And thank _you_. For being honest with me."


	9. Chapter 8: Colin

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long. Well, I thought that since it was summer, I would have more time to write, but apparently "summer" means having my cousins over for like a month and having to be with them all the time and going out and sleeping and trying to find a job and whatnot. Distractions, distractions everywhere. **

**I think I'll try to type more chapters first instead of publishing, so I can have most of the story ready.**

**Chapter 8: Colin**

It had been three months since the forest incident. In such a short period of time, many things had changed. Link and Ilia were now nine years old, the monkey no longer bothered the villagers, Beth and Talo learned how to speak, the goats were now in control, and the Faron Woods were more dangerous than before. In fact, Rusl had built a gate in front of the bridge to keep villagers from crossing, unless it was for something very important.

Uli sat down on her rocking chair in front of the warm, cozy flames of the fire that burned in the chimney, right in the kitchen. Closing her eyes, she tried to relax after the long day she was too used to having. She sighed, and placed her hand on her belly. A smile spread across her face as she felt the little kicks of her unborn child; she couldn't feel happier.

A light knock on the door distracted her, making her look up. Rusl was on the other side of the room, reading some of his mythical books. He looked up at the sound of the door too, and cleared his throat.

"Come in," he called. The door opened slowly, and Link's little head poked in from outside. Rusl and Uli smiled at him welcomingly as soon as they saw him.

"Hi," Link said with a shy look on his face as he walked inside. "I'm sorry if it's a little late."

"It's okay, Link," Uli told him with a warm smile. "You know you can come whenever you like."

"Thanks, Uli," Link said, returning the smile. "I just wanted to drop off the clothes Ilia and I washed today." He was carrying a big, brown, basket that looked a little too heavy.

"Thank you, Link," Rusl smiled in thanks at him. "You can put in on the table." Link did as he was told, and placed the brown basket on the table in front of them. As he did this, Uli smiled in the memory of something.

That had been the very same basket Link had slept in when he was a baby. She still felt terrible for having to make him sleep there, but she didn't have another choice. The fact that Link had used that basket made her remember everything that had happened years ago, and she realized she missed most of it.

"You're so nice, Link," Uli told him kindly. "You're always helping. You-" She stopped short in mid sentence, when suddenly, her face had an uneasy, troubled look on it, and her eyes widened. Shocked, Uli gasped loudly. Rusl jumped up, startled, and hurried over to his wife immediately. He looked down at the floor.

The floor was wet.

Uli looked down too, and couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her water broke? Already? She started breathing heavily, and clutched her stomach.

Rusl shoved himself out of the chair at once and went for some towels. Nervously, he started pushing everything aside desperately, trying to get to her aid as soon as possible. He nearly screamed as slowly he lost his patience.

"What's going on?" Link worriedly asked as he noticed how anxious they all were. "Rusl?"

"Link, get Bo!" Rusl shouted hurriedly, running towards Uli's side as he tried to get her to the bed. "Hurry!" Uli had the most anxious look Link had ever seen on her face, and sweat trickled down her forehead quickly as she tried to breathe.

Without asking any more questions, he flew out of the house, accidentally slamming the door as he stumbled as fast as he could to Bo's house. Panting, he reached it fast, and knocked on the door loudly, feeling a little guilty he was going to wake him up. But whatever was happening, he had to listen to Rusl.

He heard footsteps approaching, and a sleepy-looking Bo opened the door lazily.

"Link?" he blinked, and yawned, confused by his unexpected guest. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Mayor, Rusl needs you urgently," Link tried to explain as fast as he could. "Something's happening to Uli, but I don't know what." He sighed, trying to catch his breath.

Bo was surprised by the news, and without another word, he shut the door behind him and just followed Link to Rusl and Uli's house as quick as possible.

Link swung the door open, and froze when he saw Uli with the most painful expression ever, lying on the bed with Rusl running around the house trying to get water.

"Dammit, where is he?" He yelled, and nearly jumped when he saw Link and Bo behind him.

"Bo!" he exclaimed. "You have to help me. Uli's about to give birth."

"What about the doctor?" Bo said.

"There's no time," Rusl insisted, as he tried to calm Uli down. "We have to do it." Bo nodded, and quickly tried to get Fado to help too.

Just by listening to this, Link knew he had to leave. Uneasy, he glanced at Rusl, not knowing what to do.

"Link, go help the mayor find Fado," Rusl told him. "Then stay at Bo's house. This is going to take a while." Link nodded, his face already turning green. With no hesitation, he left the house.

…...

"Wow, I can't believe it," Ilia said, still in shock. She moved her bishop two squares diagonally, her head resting on her other hand. They both sat on the table at the kitchen, playing chess as they waited for the grown-ups.

"I know," Link agreed, saving his horse just in time. He looked up at her. "Can you believe it?"

"Well, I just said I couldn't believe it," Ilia laughed, and moved her bishop again to get rid of Link's horse. "I thought she would have him later."

"Yeah, me too," Link told her, and stretched his arms to the side, feeling tired. He sighed, and moved his pawn, since he was half-asleep and wasn't really sure what to do. "Do you think he'll get along with Talo and Beth?"

"You mean, s_he_," Ilia grinned, moving her own pawn. She giggled excitedly.

"How do you know it's a 'she'?" Link laughed. With his other horse, he easily eliminated Ilia's pawn, which made her move bishop and eliminate his horse.

"Just 'cause," Ilia laughed too. "I'm a girl, so naturally I'm going to want her to be a girl."

Link covered his mouth and yawned sleepily, then sighed, his eyes closing. The sleep was defeating him, and his eyes were all ready betraying him. He just felt so tired…

Ilia yawned too, and then rested her head on the table. "I'm so tired, I think I'm going to fall asleep right here."

"Yeah, me too," Link said tiredly. "There's been a lot going on." He yawned again, and shut his eyes.

"I know, right?" Ilia said, lifting her head up from the table. "And this was so unexpected-" She looked at Link and saw his head was slumped forward, and his eyes were closed. He was already sound asleep. She thought he looked so peaceful when he slept…

She smiled, and sighed. "Oh well, he was going to fall asleep eventually." He wasn't snoring, but it was so quiet she could hear him breathing softly.

_Oh, why does he have to be so cute?_ Ilia thought with a smile. She again placed her head on the table, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

Half an hour later, someone knocked on the door. The kids were asleep, so they didn't notice.

"Link? Ilia?" Fado called from outside, knocking. "Are you there?" Bo was with him, so he opened the door, and both of them walked inside the house. Both of them were tired from the long night, but laughed when they went to the kitchen.

Their first sight was Link and Ilia, both sitting on the table across from each other, with their heads resting on it, sleeping. Bo sighed, and smiled.

"Poor kids," Fado told him, walking towards Link. "They must be so tired." Bo walked towards Ilia, and picked her up.

"Yeah," he agreed, taking Ilia in his arms. "I better take her to her bed." He motioned his head towards the stairs, and started heading up.

Fado, nodded, and he carried Link all the way back to his house.

Once he was outside, he shut the door behind him and headed towards the house to see how Uli was doing. Sera was with her right now, since she had some medicines in her shop that could help. He went inside and placed Link on the couch, then went off to help.

A few minutes went by and Link's eyes started opening slowly and lazily. With a yawn, he sat up on the couch and ran his hand through his hair, only to see Rusl sitting across from him.

"Rusl?" he said, looking around. "Where's Ilia?"

"At her house," Rusl answered. "You fell asleep, so Fado carried you here." He smiled, and both of them stood up to stretch.

Link rubbed his eyes and tried not to trip as he stumbled to the kitchen. "How's Uli?"

"She's better," Rusl told him, trying to help him to stay on his feet. "We have a new family member."

Link, now wide awake, looked at Rusl with surprised wide eyes, which made Rusl laugh. He grinned at the news, and then he heard the faint noises of a crying baby. His head turned towards Uli's room, and ran towards it instantly.

"Whoa, slow down," warned Rusl. He opened the door, and Link rushed inside. Once he was there, he found her lying on the bed with Sera next to her. She looked like she was holding a bundle of blankets.

"Uli?" Link asked. He looked up at Sera, confused. But she just smiled, and then looked at her arms to see what she was holding.

"She's asleep," she told Link. Sera looked up at him. "She had her baby." Link dropped his jaw, and walked closer to get a better look.

"Can I see him?" he asked eagerly. Sera laughed, and carefully uncovered the blankets. Right there was a blonde, blue eyed baby, just like Link, but with straighter hair. He was pinkish white, like most newborns were, and he was crying. Link smiled at the baby, wishing Ilia was here to meet him.

"His name is Colin," Rusl told him from behind. Link spun around to look at Rusl, not noticing he had been there.

"He looks like Uli!" Link said, still surprised. "And a little like me." Rusl laughed in agreement.

"Yeah, he does," he said, and sighed, feeling a little guilty for Link since he knew they weren't really related. But it was better that he knew, or else things would've been worse for him.

"So, is he like my little brother?" Link asked Rusl. Rusl quickly looked over at Sera, who smiled.

"Kinda," Rusl said, not wanting him to feel bad. "You can spend the night here tonight if you want, so you can help."

"Thank you," Link grinned, happy he would be able to help. He looked again at his new "little brother", excited there would be someone else in the village.


	10. Chapter 9: The Trip

**Chapter 9: The Trip**

**Hi everyone! Merry Christmas to all! I hope we all had a great holiday and that we have an amazing new year. I wish everyone the best.**

**It took forever for me to even log in to Fanfiction. High school in my school is really tough, and I barely have time to do **_**anything.**_** I have no idea how long it will take to upload the next chapter, but I hope it's not very long. My weekends are really crammed. But here it is: Chapter 9 (finally)!**

"Take that!" Ilia yelled between giggles, as she threw the snowball in the air as hard as she could.

"Ow!" Link yelled, as the snowball landed right on his face, knocking him to the ground. His body fell on the cold, clear snow, making him dizzy. He sat up, rubbing his fists against his eyes. For a girl, Ilia could sure hit hard.

"Whoops," Ilia said, suddenly worried if she had hit him too hard. She tilted her head to the right, trying to look at him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Link told her, smiling. Without letting her say anything else, he threw a snowball right on her ankle, making her fall on the floor too. Ilia gave out a little scream as she fell to the ground, right on her butt, and then both of them started laughing.

January was coming to an end, and the whole village was still covered in snow. It was on the ground, on the rooftops of the wooden houses, and even in the river. Snowflakes fell everywhere, making the weather colder and cozier. Link stood up, shaking the snow off his clothes. He sighed at the sight of Ilia smiling at him from the ground, and smiled back; he thought she looked pretty in her winter clothes.

"Hey, let's go get something to drink at Uli and Rusl's house," Ilia told him as she stood up too. "I heard she was making hot cocoa." She lazily stretched her arms in front of her, feeling tired after playing the whole day.

"Okay," Link agreed, and walked towards her. "Should we take him too?" He pointed his finger at the two-year old Colin, who was running around the snow trying to catch a butterfly. Uli was probably wondering about him too.

"Sure," Ilia said. She turned towards Colin and called him. Colin didn't listen, and just kept on trying to catch the butterfly.

"Colin!" she tried again, but he didn't pay attention. "Colin!" She groaned, and rolled her eyes at Link. "Will you do it?"

"Colin!" Link called, and this time, Colin turned his head to them, and immediately ran towards them at the sound of Link's voice. Link smiled at him, and took his hand to walk to the house.

"He loves you," Ilia told Link while they walked. "He only listens to you!" she said. Link laughed, shaking his head.

"Yeah, well…" he tried to say, but as modest as he was, he couldn't bring words out.

"Well, not just Colin," Ilia said. "Talo and Beth are also following you around."

"They follow you too!" Link told her. "It's as if you were their big sister."

Ilia laughed, and smiled at Link. "Being the oldest is tough."

"Yeah," Link agreed, returning the smile. "It is." They reached the house, and Ilia turned the doorknob to open the door. Colin ran inside first, and Link and Ilia followed, closing the door behind them so the cold breeze wouldn't get in.

Uli was at the kitchen making the hot cocoa, and Rusl was sitting on the table drinking some coffee with Fado. Colin eagerly ran towards his father, and gave him a big hug.

"Hey there, Colin," Rusl greeted warmly, and Fado waved at the little guy. They looked up, and greeted the two ten-year olds.

"Hi, kids," Uli called from the kitchen. She turned her head towards them and smiled welcomingly.

"Hi Uli!" they both called, and sat on the table with the men. Uli walked towards them with two brown mugs full of homemade hot cocoa, and placed them on the table in front of them. Ilia's mouth watered at the smell, and immediately took a big sip.

"Wow," Ilia said, tasting the warm chocolate. "I was longing for this."Ilia said as Uli laughed, and walked again to the kitchen to make some more.

"Thanks, Uli!" Link told her, and took his own taste. Uli made the best cocoa they've ever tried, and they always drank drink some every winter.

"So, when are we going?" Link and Ilia snapped their heads up at Rusl's question, not sure if he was talking to them.

"This weekend," Fado told him, munching on a cookie. They were both having a conversation, and the kids were now paying attention. "We're going to have to take a big wagon."

"Wow, that much?" Rusl said, throwing his head forward. "We're going to take a looooong time."

"Well, we have to," Fado shrugged, as if they didn't really have a choice. "We'll just have to take care of the barrels." Link and Ilia raised an eyebrow, having no clue about what they were talking about.

"Where are you going?" Ilia asked curiously, wondering if she was being rude.

Rusl turned to her, not minding the question. "Castle Town. We need to take the goat milk to the market to sell."

"Oh," Link said, understanding. "But I thought Hyrule Field was full of monsters now." Ilia shuddered at the thought of Bokoblins again, and Link nodded, knowing how she must be feeling.

"That's the problem," Fado told him. "That's why Rusl's going with me this time, because it's dangerous to go alone."

"But, isn't the gate to the field locked?" Ilia asked. "You said Coro locked it. And what about the snow? It'll be hard to travel with snow covering the road."

"He'll unlock it for us," Rusl answered. "It _will_ be harder to travel on the snow, but we'll have to try it. We're staying for about five days."

"Wow, I wish I knew how Castle Town was like," Link sighed. Would it be crowded? Bigger? How many different shops would there be? Would the people be nice? How would the castle look like? Did they really have a circus tent? How different would it be from the small village?

"If only it were safe enough to take you kids," Fado said, smiling sadly at Link in understanding. "Maybe you'll go when you're older."

"You will," Rusl assured them. "But for now, you'll stay here where it's safe."

"But what about you?" Ilia asked again.

Rusl sighed, not wanting them to worry. "We'll be fine, don't worry."

"It's okay, Ilia," Uli said as she pulled a chair next to them. "I don't agree on it either."

"You shouldn't worry about us," Rusl told her. "We'll come back safely." Uli looked down, hoping it was true. She really didn't want anything bad to happen to them.

"Maybe you can meet the princess," Link laughed. Ilia smiled, thinking what she would be like.

"Yeah!" she agreed. "That would be great." Rusl and Uli looked at each other, then at Fado. _If only he knew the princess is his sister,_ Uli thought. _He's actually the prince._

"Yes, it would," Rusl said, and exchanged glances with the grownups again.

…

"There, that's the last one," Fado grabbed the brown, rusty milk barrel from Link's hands, and placed it carefully on the back of the wagon next to the others. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, and turned to the kids.

"Thanks for helping me," he smiled at them.

"You're welcome," Link said, glad he could help.

"It was nothing," Ilia smiled. She and Link still wanted to go with them very badly, but knew that it would be too dangerous. The villagers had already said goodbye to them, and were wishing them a safe trip. Right now they had just finished loading the wagon with the milk.

"Fado," Rusl called him. "Come here." Fado obeyed Rusl, and went to him. They were both talking and checking if there was anything else to take, while Link and Ilia sat inside the wagon, waiting.

"I really wish we could go," Ilia said. "If only we could both fit on Epona and ride her to the town ourselves."

"Yeah," Link said, agreeing. "The town must be great." Ilia turned around, still in awe at how big the wagon actually was. Everything was so perfectly ordered, and it all fit. She scanned across the covered part, and then blinked. Had she just seen something sparkly?

Squinting, Ilia tried to get a better view inside. There was something gold, shining from one of the barrels at the way back. Gasping, she finally realized what it was, and nudged Link.

"Link!" she said, pointing at the barrel. "It's my horse bracelet!" Link turned around to where she was pointing, and squinted.

"Whoa, how did that get in there?" he asked in surprise.

"I have no idea," Ilia said, and got on her knees, ready to crawl in. "It probably slipped. But I have to get it."

"I'll help you," Link told his friend, and got on his knees too. "It might get lost in the town." Ilia grinned, and they both went inside, trying to move the barrels out of the way. It was full of them, and they had to try not to knock them over so the milk wouldn't spill. Ilia tried to stand up, but fell on her knees again; the roof was too short for them to stand up.

"You okay?" Link asked her, trying to get to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ilia told him, and smiled when she saw the bracelet a few centimeters away. "There it is." She pointed at it, and reached out. It was just at her reach, but her arm wasn't long enough. Frowning, she tried desperately to grab it.

Link noticed her struggling, and got closer. He reached his arm inside, and grabbed it, falling at the same time.

"Got it." They both smiled, and sat up. Ilia sighed in relief, glad she hadn't lost it.

"Thank you," she told him, and looked at behind her. "Let's get out now." But as soon as the words were outside of her mouth, they both suddenly stumbled forward to the floor, landing on their faces. The barrels were shaking, the milk rattled, and the horses outside whinnied. Link tried to sit back up, holding on to a big barrel, and helped Ilia sit again.

"W-what's happening?" Ilia asked nervously. "Is this an earthquake?" Link looked outside behind him, and noticed the spring was getting far away. The wagon was moving, and they were inside moving with it.

"No," he said, and looked at her. "The wagon is moving." Ilia gasped, and covered her mouth.

"So, does that mean we're leaving?" she asked worriedly, her heart racing.

"Yes," Link told her, trying to calm her down. "But don't worry, Rusl and Fado will do something about it." He was about to call out for them, but Ilia stopped him.

"Wait," she said, lifting his hand as if to cut him off. "We're going to Castle Town. We're actually going." Her eyes were wide in realization, and as scared as she was, she knew they just couldn't miss this opportunity. Going to Castle Town was something they would probably never do in years, and they couldn't wait that long. They _had _to go, no matter what; this was their only chance. Sure, it was dangerous, but it was worth it.

Link nodded, because inside, he really wanted to go too. He was craving for an adventure, and thought this was their perfect chance. They had to take it.

"Well, it's now or never," he smiled. Ilia smiled back, and they both remained quiet for the rest of the trip. They couldn't help but think that they were actually going.

"Of course, we're going to be _so_ grounded when they find out," Ilia gulped, resting her back on a barrel. "Shoot, my father will be so angry." She rolled her eyes, and closed them, not wanting to think about what was waiting for them when they got back.


	11. Chapter 10: Castle Town

**Chapter 10: Castle Town**

**A/N: Hi everyone! Hope you all had a great holiday! Here's chapter 10!**

Rusl and Fado whipped the horses to go as fast as they could, since Hyrule Field was full of bokoblins, bulbins, and other monsters that roamed around. The monsters chased them all the way from Faron Province to Lanayru, and the faster they went, the safer they were. Bokoblins howled and furiously threw their weapons at the wagon, but the horses dodged them and flew right past them, trying to knock them out.

"Wow, this place is infested with bulbins," Ilia pointed out as they rode past some enemies. They were bellowing and pointing fire arrows at them, and Link and Ilia were ducking down the barrels and crates, trying to hide from them. The closer they got to Lanayru Province, the less bokoblins there were. But as the bokoblins left, more and more bulbins appeared, ready to strike when they had the chance. Attacking back immediately wasn't really an option, since their arrows were numbered.

"Rusl says there are worst enemies in the north part of Lanayru," Link whispered to Ilia, who curiously listened for more information. "They're called lizalfos."

Ilia grimaced, but kept listening. "How do they look like?"

"They're green, wear a strong helmet and look like dinosaurs, and they carry a knife with them," Link told her. "But they're not around here. Usually they hang out in the north."

"Phew," Ilia said, relieved, and shuddered at the thought of how they would look like. She clutched her stomach, feeling a little sick from the moving wagon, and tried to clear her mind.

"Are you okay?" Link asked her, noticing her unease. He sat next to her, trying find out what was wrong.

"I'm fine," she said, not wanting to worry him. "Just a little dizzy." She sighed, and squeezed her eyes shut. "Are we there yet?"

The wagon suddenly stopped, shoving Link and Ilia to the ground. Link turned around at the sudden halt, and held on to a barrel as the wagon began to go up some steps. He could hear Rusl shooting some arrows at the bulbins, while Fado motioned his horses to go on. Looking up, he grinned as he read a sign that said: "Hyrule Castle Town".

He then turned to Ilia with a smile. "We're here." Ilia opened her eyes quickly, and grinned back excitedly. They were actually here! They couldn't believe it; it all seemed so heady and unreal. The wagon slowed down, and stopped in front of the huge, polished, brown gate doors that protected the town. Link heard Rusl say something, and then the doors opened neatly in front of them, leading them inside. He had probably told the guards to open it or something.

Link and Ilia poked their heads from behind the barrels, and widened their eyes the minute the wagon strolled inside the streets. Ilia gasped, surprised at how big and pretty the town really was. People and children ran around the rocky streets, heading for different directions busily. Guards patrolled through the whole town, walking in a perfect straight line; merchants set up their shops and sold many different types of things, and a band played lively in the far left corner of the town square.

The wagon went once around the central square, and turned to the south street, now going slower, and with a bouncing Link and Ilia on the back. The kids couldn't wait to get down and explore the city, but they waited quietly until Rusl and Fado stopped the horses right in front of a fruit stand. Link heard Rusl drop down from the wagon, and walk towards some of the merchants that were selling. Ilia peeked from behind a big barrel, and glanced at Link.

"What should we do?" she whispered to him. She looked around nervously, not knowing what to do.

"I don't know," Link whispered back, crouching down. "But sooner or later, they're going to start unloading the barrels." Ilia gulped, _now_ feeling nervous about getting caught. _We're screwed_, she thought.

"We'll help you unload!" a merchant called, already opening the back door of the wagon. Another man followed behind him, and Rusl and Fado went over to the back to unload the barrels. One by one, each one of them grabbed a barrel and put it on a wooden cart next to them.

Link and Ilia crouched further behind, trying not to make any noise, but Ilia was on the edge of shrieking. Link kept glancing at her nervously, afraid she might cry out. Instead though, she began to calm down as he got closer to her, and just waited for whatever was coming. The men were quickly doing their job, and they were almost finishing up. Link and Ilia gulped when they saw a pair of hands pull a big barrel in front of them. Rusl removed the barrel, and soon as he saw the two kids sitting there, he nearly screamed.

"Whoa!" he yelled, jumping back. "W-what are you two doing here?" His eyes widened in surprise, and he looked as if he had seen a ghost. What were Link and Ilia doing in the wagon? He'd clearly told them not to! _Stubborn kids_, Rusl thought, and motioned them to come out of the wagon. Obediently, Link and Ilia both crawled to the end of the wagon and got on their feet, landing on the rocky street. They stood there, not knowing what to say.

Rusl sighed, and shook his head. "I told you kids _not_ to come," he scolded them firmly. "Do you know how dangerous the field on the way here is? Do you understand the danger you were in?" He crossed his arms, feeling disappointed at the kids disobeying him.

Link looked down on the floor, and sighed. "We're sorry, Rusl."

"It's just," Ilia started. "We really wanted to see the town. Just once." She looked at Link, and he lifted his head to look at them.

"Yeah," he added softly. "We really wanted to come." They both remained quiet for a while, glancing at each other. What would Rusl think about them? Would he punish them right there and feel angry at them?

Rusl sighed, and looked right at them. "You really, really, _really_ wanted to come?"

"Yes!" they both said at the same time without hesitation. Fado laughed at the kids' excitement, and Rusl nodded.

"Alright," he agreed, making Link and Ilia's faces immediately light up. "I won't ground you now. But I will when we get home. What you did is still very wrong, so don't think you can get away with this time!"

"Yes!" Ilia exclaimed, jumping up and down. "Thank you!" Link sighed in relief, and smiled at her.

"Well, while we work on some business right now, why don't you go explore the town a little and entertain yourselves?" Fado grinned. Ilia gasped, and pulled Link's arm, ready to run in any direction.

"But wait!" Rusl stopped them before they were completely free, raising his hand. "Don't go too far, you can get lost! You can only hangout east from here, but don't go north yet!"

"Okay!" Link and Ilia called, already running to the street on the right. As they ran, they passed by the house of a fortune teller, a fancily decorated house, and many other places full of busy people. They stopped when they got to a big, red circus tent where a blonde guy in a yellow shirt was leaning against a wall, watching his dog play around. Three little girls were standing in front of tent, trying to peek inside.

Ilia turned to Link when they were in front of the tent. "What's that?" Link shrugged, and noticed a sign that said "STAR Game".

"That's the famous circus tent," Link told her. "Rusl has told me a lot about Castle Town, since he comes here so often." He tried to look past the girls in front of the entrance. "Think we can go inside?" Ilia nodded with a grin, excited. They both walked towards the tent, next to the three girls. They were all huddled together, trying to peek inside, but there was no one inside.

"Hmm," Link thought out loud. Suddenly, he heard some giggles behind him. It was as if someone was looking at him and laughing nervously. Raising an eyebrow, he turned around, and saw the three little girls staring at him, and giggling. They were all different heights, but they all looked near the same age. When the smallest girl caught him looking back, she gasped, and her face turned red. They all quickly turned around, still giggling as if nothing had happened. _What is with them?_ he thought, and just shook his head and looked ahead again. Ilia noticed what was happening, and narrowed her eyes, feeling a little bit jealous.

The oldest of the three girls motioned the others to walk forward, and they all quietly got behind Link, still trying not to giggle. The middle one covered her mouth with a grin, and the short one still had her face red. They were constantly nudging at looking at each other, as if saying, _talk to him!_ Ilia was still keeping an eye on them, trying not to look as if she was jealous. Then, the middle one walked up closer, and tapped Link on the shoulder.

Link turned around, still confused, and looked at the three girls, who were doing a terrible job at trying not to be obvious. The girls then burst into giggles, their faces red. _Oh my goddesses,_ thought Ilia, shaking her head.

The middle one then tried to stop laughing, and said. "Mister, my friend thinks you're cute."

"Hanna!" the oldest one shouted, glaring at her. They all started laughing again, and fled away to the east street, in the direction of the town square, disappearing out of their sight. Link and Ilia just stood there, feeling awkward about what had just happened. Ilia then started giggling, and covered her mouth nervously. Link narrowed his eyes at her, and she suddenly burst out laughing, not believing those girls had actually had courage to tell Link he was _cute_. She of course, didn't disagree with them at all, but couldn't help laughing.

"What?" Link asked, throwing his hands in the air. "What did I do?" Ilia couldn't stop laughing, and she almost fell on the floor. "Am I that ugly?"

"N-no! No, it's not that!" Ilia tried to tell him between her laughing. "It's just, it was funny how you were all confused, and-" She couldn't even finish her sentence, when she started laughing all over again, leaving Link still puzzled.

"Girls," he muttered, waiting for Ilia to finish laughing so they could go inside. Who in the world would ever think _he_ was cute? He was just a village kid who worked at a ranch and barely had time to even look at his reflection in the water. Ilia tried to catch her breath, putting her hand on her stomach, and finally stopped laughing. She sighed, took a deep breath, and regained control on herself.

"Okay," she said, walking closer to the entrance. "Let's go inside." But right after she said that, a man's head poked out of the tent door, startling Ilia. The man had a funny hat on his head, and looked like he liked to challenge people. He grinned when he saw the two kids, and stepped out.

"Welcome, children!" the man in the clown-like suit said, looking at them both. "I am Purlo, the owner of this tent. It is of very bad luck that you came on this day, because I am sorry to say that the magnificent, splendid, and fantastic STAR game is not ready yet. For today, the tent is closed." He crossed his arms in front of them, and motioned for them to get out. Ilia sighed and shrugged as if to say "too bad".

"Oh well," Link told Ilia. "Maybe we can come another time." Ilia nodded in agreement.

She turned to Purlo. "Yeah, we'll come back some other day." Well, they still had a lot to see anyway, and the guy looked a little creepy anyway. The city was huge, which meant they probably wouldn't even have time to check everything on a single day.

The man entered his tent again, and Link and Ilia just stood there, unsure of what to do next now that they realized there would be no show for tonight.

"Well," Link spoke, turning to Ilia. "We should go somewhere else." Ilia looked back at him, and nodded, though she had no idea what they were going to do next.

"Yeah," she agreed, and turned around to walk to the south street again. "But where?"

"I don't know," Link replied, following behind her as she led the way back to where the wagon was. "We should ask Rusl about where we should go, because we can't go to the north street yet." They kept pacing to the alley with houses and small shops, watching people run back and forth from one place to another. _I'd get lost for sure if I lived here,_ Link thought. Compared to Ordon, this place was enormous.

"Well," Ilia said. "Maybe we could check out-ahh!" Suddenly, she jumped back, squealing, with a terrified look on her face. Frightened, she backed away, and got behind Link, who looked around in perplexity. He looked at Ilia, his face clearly showing her a question mark, but Ilia just pointed, scared, at a big, black, scary spider on the floor, which was probably the size of her fist. Ilia had always been terrified of spiders, even though the crawly insects were everywhere in Ordon.

Link caringly placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to get her to calm down. "It's just a spider."

"Spider? Where?" Someone suddenly spoke from behind them. Puzzled, Link and Ilia turned around at the sound of the new voice joining their conversation. Behind them was a young, small girl wearing a puffy, white, pink, and blue dress, white tights and black shoes. Her outfit seemed too fancy for someone living in Castle Town; she had butterfly accessories that matched the decorated wooden basket she was carrying, and she held with her brown gloves a small, pink and white umbrella above her blonde high ponytails, which was a typical little girl hairdo. A few spots of colorful makeup covered her face, which went perfectly with her purple earrings; she just looked like any little girl that liked to play dress-up a lot.

The fancy little girl flashed a joyful grin on her face at the newcomers. "Hello! Are you new to the town?" She seemed eager at the sight of new people, they noticed.

"Yeah, we are," Ilia answered, wondering why she was dressed up like that.

"Do you live there?" Link asked, and pointed to the big house on his left with the insect decorations outside and the pretty sign.

"Yes, I do," the girl replied, beaming proudly. "My name is Agitha, princess of bugs!"

Ilia bit her lip, trying to keep herself from laughing, and looked at the floor so the girl wouldn't notice. Princess of bugs? Really? She glanced at Link, who seemed to be trying not to laugh too. _Well, this is something I don't see every day,_ Ilia thought, and tried to look back up at the girl with a nonchalant look on her face. Agitha fortunately didn't notice she was amusing them, and just kept on talking.

"I love bugs," she stated. "I collect all kinds of bugs ever since I was two with my father! We collected butterflies, beetles, stags, ladybugs, grasshoppers, all kinds of bugs! They're all kept inside my palace." She waved her hand towards the house on the left, motioning them to look at her "palace". Then she pointed at the spider on the floor that had startled Ilia. "And now, my collection has just grown!" She bounced over to the spider happily, and picked it up casually.

Ilia tried not to gag as she watched in horror the fist-sized spider on Agitha's hands, and quickly looked away before she would throw up right there on the floor. As Agitha grinned at the new friend in her hands, Ilia couldn't help but think spiders were just awful, while Link just shrugged at the situation.

"So, umm, you don't mind having all those insects crawling inside your house at night?" Ilia asked her, still not believing what she was doing.

"Of course not," Agitha laughed, thinking how an older girl could be scared of such small animals. "They actually make great pets!" Link and Ilia slowly walked away, feeling a little creeped out about this little girl.

"And, how old are you?" Link asked curiously, eyeing the spider on her hands. He usually didn't talk a lot to new people because he was shy, but this little girl was very…unusual.

"I'm five," she answered him, not minding any of their questions. "How old are _you_? You seem pretty big to me!"

"We're ten," Ilia told her. She couldn't keep her eyes away from her hands, and blinked often, shaking her head. "I think we need to go now." She grabbed Link's arm and tried to slowly and inconspicuously pull him away from the place, not wanting to look at the spider any longer. Link understood the expression on her face, and nodded, trying to slowly walk away.

"You're leaving already?" Agitha sighed sadly, enjoying the time with her new friends. "Can't you come inside my palace first and look at the rest of the bugs?"

"No!" Link and Ilia both answered a little too quickly at the same time, exchanging nervous looks at how weird things were getting.

"It's just, our, umm, wagon is waiting for us," Link tried to explain briefly. "We need to get to the inn, and it's getting late."

"Oh," Agitha said disappointed, looking down at the floor. "That's okay." Her face lit up, and she looked at them again. "But I'll see you soon, right?"

Her face seemed so eager, Ilia didn't have the heart to refuse. "Sure, maybe tomorrow." Link smiled at her, and Ilia smiled back.

"Great!" Agitha exclaimed excitedly, and then ran past them to the entrance of her house. She opened the decorated door, and waved at them.

"Good bye!" she called, and Link and Ilia waved back at her. Agitha shut the door to her house, leaving them both outside.

"Okay, that was a little weird, don't you think?" Ilia asked Link, turning to him.

Link nodded in agreement, still feeling confused about the unusual moment. "Yes, it was." He looked at her, and motioned his hand for her to walk. "We better get to the wagon before Rusl gets worried."

"Yeah, you're right," Ilia said, and started walking with him back to their starting point. The sky was already turning into a darker black, and the opaque clouds covered the starry twilight. Around the street, the villagers were already returning to their homes swiftly, and the torches around the corners lit up in a bright orangey fire. Castle guards were patrolling the town in a perfectly straight line, as they usually did during the night time. The whole city was practically shutting down, and everyone was already leaving.

"It's twilight," Ilia noted as she walked next to Link. She looked up at the sky, admiring the scenery as the moon hid behind the dark clouds. "I like it."

"Good," Link muttered to no one in particular. He suddenly felt a little queasy; twilight wasn't his favorite time of the day. It always intrigued him, how it would be like to spend too much time in it. It wasn't bright, but it wasn't dark either. The thought always made him feel uneasy for some reason, as if there were strange creatures lurking in the shadows, waiting for him to walk by so they could jump out.

"Oh look, there it is," Ilia pointed at the wagon parked right in the middle of the street. They both ran towards it the second they saw it, and stood next to it. Rusl and Fado were already walking towards them, and the kids waited patiently.

"We're back," Rusl said when they reached them. "Did you two have fun?"

Ilia nodded quickly with a bright smile on her face. "We explored the whole street and met new people."

"Yeah," Link said, smiling too. "They are very, umm, _different_, from us." He shuddered at the picture of Agitha in his mind holding the three inch wide spider on her hand, and Ilia giggled._ Sure, "different",_ she thought.

"Well, we better get going to the inn," Fado told them from behind. He had already hopped on the driver's seat, waiting for them to get on. "It's in the central square." Rusl opened the back part of the wagon for them, and they both hopped inside, feeling tired from the long day. The door shut from behind them, and Rusl sat next to Fado on the front. Pulling the reigns, the horses walked to the north, slowly rocking Link and Ilia to sleep.


	12. Chapter 11: The Shadow Beasts

**Chapter 11: The Shadow Beasts**

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I know it's been really long, but here's Chapter 11! I've been having a little bit of writer's block recently, but I'm still working on the next chapters. Summer was busy for me, since I had a summer job and whenever I had free time all I did was sleep… Anyway, thanks again to those who have reviewed! And if you're reading this, please review and tell me what you thought even if it's just a one word review. It motivates me more and I really appreciate it!**

The next morning, Link and Ilia were already up and ready at 8:00 am, excited to see the rest of the city as soon as possible. They still had enough time, but they wanted to do it quickly, since they couldn't wait any longer to start. When they first headed out, they started exploring the rest of the central square, mostly visiting the shops. Agitha had joined them and had insisted on giving them a tour, which they gratefully but hesitantly accepted, so she was leading them everywhere and anywhere possible to make sure they didn't miss anything.

"To our right are the café and the Goron Shop," Agitha pointed to the house in the corner that bordered the crowded café. People went inside and could be seen enjoying their warm drinks; they were mostly couples.

"Can we go inside?" Ilia asked her, curiously peeking through the window. The drinks looked delicious, and they hadn't had any breakfast yet. Her stomach rumbled, and she placed her hand on it when she remembered her hunger.

"I'm hungry," Link said, looking inside the window. "We could take a break and eat something." They both looked over to Agitha for approval. She just smiled and led the way to the entrance, with both of them following right behind her. The doorman opened for them, and they eagerly walked inside the mini restaurant. Inside, waiters walked back and forth delivering the food, and people hungrily ate their satisfying snack; Link wondered if they were probably workers who had been up early. He followed Ilia and Agitha to the counter so they could get their table.

"Good morning," the lady behind the counter greeted with a smile. "Would you like a table?"

"Yes, please," Agitha answered immediately in her little girl voice. "Table for three!"

"This way," the lady said, getting up from her chair. She walked over to them, and motioned for them to follow her. The lady led them to the corner of the café, and waved her hand over a small table for four people. Link and Ilia smiled gratefully, and they each took a seat next to each other, with Agitha sitting in front of Link. They all grabbed a long menu from the center of the square table, and opened it to choose their drinks. The counter lady left them and went back to her working spot; then she called a waitress to attend their table.

After a while, the waitress walked over to their table. They all ordered their food and drinks, and the waitress quickly scribbled everything down. She then left them and went to get the food.

"So," Agitha said, turning to look at Link and at Ilia as soon as the waitress was gone. "When are you guys coming to my palace?"

Ilia gulped at the word "palace", and glanced nervously at Link for an answer. Link groaned mentally, not wanting to be the one to come up with an excuse. But if Ilia needed him to save the awkward moment, he would help her.

"Well, umm," Link started, not really sure how to formulate his answer. He didn't want to disappoint the innocent little girl that pleaded for their arrival with her wide, excited eyes. "We're just not sure if we're allowed to go into anyone's houses." Ilia silently let out a soft "phew", glad Link was good at coming up with fast and reasonable answers despite his quietness and uneasiness with new people.

"Yeah," Ilia supported him, nodding at Agitha. "I don't think they'd let us go into any house, especially if they don't know you."

"Well," Agitha said, playing with her fork and napkin. "You could ask your mom or dad to meet me." Link and Ilia looked at each other again, not wanting to have this conversation right now.

"We didn't come with our parents," Ilia told her. "They're just, friends."

"Oh," Agitha dropped her gaze to the table sadly. "But, I really wanted you to see my pets." Ilia tried not gag again at the thought of the spider they had seen yesterday. If she was able to pick up such a huge insect and take it home, who knew what other animals were being kept in there? She didn't even want to imagine what kind of creepy and crawly bugs would be scurrying around and hiding in the corners. Agitha looked back up when she saw her glass of milk being placed in front of her, and she turned around to see the leaving waitress.

"Hmm," Ilia said, and she picked up her mug. She took a small sip of her hot chocolate, and tasted it carefully inside her mouth. "Still not as good as Uli's." She and Link started laughing at her comment, both agreeing that Uli made the best hot chocolate ever. Link smiled at the memory of their family, and wondered what they could be doing right now. Had Rusl sent them a letter already to let them know they were with him? _Well, I just hope they're not worried_, he thought to himself.

"So, Agitha," Link said, turning to look at the little girl, who was thirstily gulping down her glass of milk. "Have you ever seen the princess?" This was something he couldn't help asking. What if they had a chance to see her too?

She stopped drinking her milk at the sudden question, and lowered her glass to place it on the table. Then she picked up a napkin and cleaned the sides of her mouth. "I have."

"Really?" Ilia asked, getting excited. "When? Where?" She had always wondered how the princess would look like. They were the same age, after all, and she had been curious to know how different their lives were. Heck, their birthday was even on the same date!

"She comes here to the town a lot," Agitha told them, glad she was amusing them. "Her carriage is surrounded by guards, and everybody's always waving at her. But she hardly ever leaves it, because I heard she needs to be protected."

"Makes sense," Link said, wishing he and Ilia could meet her. He looked down at his hand and gazed at the triforce printed on it. Rusl had once told him the members of the royal family used the symbol a lot in their clothes, the decorations, everything.

"Yeah, I heard that when she was a baby, she had a twin," Agitha lowered her voice to make sure they were the only ones listening, and motioned them to come closer. "My dad told this to me, but people don't like to talk about it."

"A twin?" Ilia asked in awe. Link widened his eyes too, and they both looked at each other. "But, there's only one princess!"

"Shhh," Agitha warned them, not wanting anyone else to hear their conversation. "He told me that a long time ago, some evil monsters had attacked, and the queen, her name was Annika, ran away with princess Zelda's twin. The monsters chased her, and they killed her."

Ilia gasped, and Link ran his hand over his hair. "They _killed_ her?" he asked, surprised.

Agitha nodded. "Yes. Some men from another village found her body and took her back here, and that was when she was last seen. But nobody ever knew anything about the other baby. I think it was a boy, a little prince. Nobody knows if he died, or if the monsters took him, or anything."

"That's terrible," Ilia whispered, shaking her head.

"I know," Link agreed. If the boy was still alive, and Link had met him, he would've understood him. Link had also grown up without his real parents, and maybe that boy, wherever he was, was doing the same.

"Scrambled eggs, sunny side up eggs, and muffin," the three kids shot their heads up and quickly backed away at the sound of the waitress's voice. Not noticing she had startled them, she placed each of their foods in front of them, and then left.

"Finally!" Agitha exclaimed, and took a bite out of her big, blueberry muffin. "I was hungry!" She continued eating the muffin, as if nothing important had been discussed. Ilia and Link just silently ate their eggs, and didn't say a word until after they were done.

"Mmm, this was so good," Agitha mentioned when she was finished. Link and Ilia quickly finished too, and pushed their plates back to let each other know they were done. The waitress came back and picked up their dirty plates, telling them she would come back with the receipt, and left. Link leaned back against his chair, and suddenly heard some giggling out of nowhere.

Raising an eyebrow, he turned around and saw three little girls sitting behind them. He blinked, and quickly turned around, which just made the little girls giggle nervously even more. Link shook his head, and tried to ignore them.

"What's wrong?" Ilia asked him.

Link groaned. "The three girls we saw yesterday are here." Ilia suddenly started laughing again, and covered her mouth when Link glared at her.

"Sorry," she admitted. "It's just, you reminded me of yesterday." She tried not to keep laughing, and glanced behind her. Surely, the girls were right there, still giggling and whispering to each other. Cautiously, Ilia pushed her chair back a little and tried to listen to their conversation.

"He's so handsome!" the shortest one exclaimed in a low voice.

"I know, Kili!" the tall one agreed with a grin. "Where do you think he's from? Maybe from Kakariko? Termina? "

"What do _you_ know about geography, Misha?" the middle one, or Hanna, laughed.

"Who cares?" the short one, or Kili, stated. "He's cute!"

"Oh my _goddess_," Ilia muttered, trying to hide her smile from her face. She pushed her chair forward again next to Link, and turned to him. "They said you were handsome. And cute."

"What?" Link asked, confused. "Me?"

"Of course you, silly!" Ilia laughed, and saw that Agitha was starting to laugh too.

"They don't even know me," Link said, wondering who would think that. "Why would they say that?"

"Well, I don't disagree with them," Agitha muttered in a low voice. She started blushing, and looked down at the table, then started playing with her fork and napkin again. Ilia smiled at Link, who was still confused, and tried to keep herself from giggling again.

After eating their healthy breakfast at the café, Link, Ilia, and Agitha headed outside, feeling satisfied from their food. They walked away from the restaurant, and went towards the fountain.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Agitha said when they stopped walking. "Can you wait for me here?"

"Sure," Ilia said, and watched the fancy little girl skip inside the café again. She and Link sat on the side of the fountain, both full from breakfast, and waited patiently.

"You know, I was wondering," Ilia said, looking at Link. "Imagine if _you_ were that lost prince that disappeared that night. You'd be famous!"

Link just laughed at the silly thought. "Nah, I would've known already. Besides, Uli just said that my mom had died the night she found me, and she never knew my father. Also, my mom's name was Annika…"

He suddenly stopped short in mid-sentence, widened his eyes, and froze right in his spot. Until now he had realized just how similar his story was to the story Agitha had just told them. Ilia dropped her mouth open, her heart suddenly racing in anxiousness.

"Wow, you two have a lot in common," she said softly and slowly. _Well, it can't really be possible,_ Ilia thought. _Nah, maybe it's just a coincidence. It would be impossible if it were true_.

Link gulped down the lump in his throat, thinking it was just a crazy coincidence. "Yeah, maybe we do. I mean, maybe this probably happened many times, and Annika is a common name." Yeah, just because the queen and his mom had the same name didn't mean it had to do anything with the story.

"I'm back!" Agitha announced out of nowhere, jumping in front of them. Startled, Link and Ilia jumped back, not expecting that sudden entrance. She turned to both of them, who had their feet glued to the ground. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go to the west!"

Agitha happily bounced in front of them, leading them to the west gate, with Link and Ilia silently following behind her. They walked through the busy streets, passing through more houses and a small clinic; around them people walk and ran everywhere, busily heading for their jobs or to the shops. They walked for almost fifteen minutes when they returned to the south road. Agitha took them to a small street to the west of the south road, which led to an empty alley with nothing but a single door on the right wall. Right next to the old door was a sign that read: TELMA'S BAR.

They stopped and sat down on the steps to rest for a while after walking. Ilia stretched her legs out, wondering if she would get a cramp from walking so long.

"What's that?" Link pointed to the sign by the door.

"Oh, that's Telma's bar," Agitha told him. "But we're not allowed in there. We're too young. I heard they drink some sort of special milk called Chateau Romani."

"Why's it so special?" Ilia asked her, stretching her arms in the air.

"It gives you energy," Agitha explained. "And it also heals you too at the same time! But it's very expensive, and not very common here. They only buy it from Termina, which is really far away. My dad bought it once, and it cost him 200 rupees!"

"Whoa," Link said in awe. "I've never payed so much for a bottle of milk!"

"It's crazy," Ilia agreed, laughing. "I didn't know milk could be that expensive."

They chatted for a while, trying to regain their energy to keep walking around town, when suddenly, a trumpet sounded from far away. It played loudly, loud enough for it to be heard everywhere.

The noise bounced from wall to wall, causing every villager to be able to listen to it. Link and Ilia looked at each other, not knowing what it meant, and just shrugged, while the trumpet still played out loud.

"Oh no," Agitha's face became as pale as the white blouse Ilia was wearing. Her body immediately tensed up, and her eyes were as wide and round as the buttons on her dress. Shaking, she stood up as fast as possible, and pulled Link and Ilia from their seats. The door from the bar burst open, and everyone was rushing outside quickly with terrified looks on their faces, as if they'd all seen a ghost. Link, Ilia, and Agitha, stepped out of their way, and everyone ran away from the empty alley and into the southern street.

Panting, Ilia took Link's arm in a reflex. "What's happening?" Frightened, she looked around at the commotion the trumpet had caused. What was going on? Why was everyone running?

"We have to go!" Agitha yelled, pulling them all from their spot and into the streets. The villagers huddled next to each other, the houses were locked, and the shops were already closed down.

"What's going on?" Link asked Agitha as they ran out of there. But Agitha seemed too scared to answer any of their questions. _Oh goddesses! _Ilia thought. _This must be serious!_

"Th-the trumpet," Agitha stuttered as she pulled them both to the center of the street. "Nobody's heard it in almost ten years!"

"But what does it mean?" Ilia asked frantically, her body shaking in anxiousness.

"It means," Agitha stopped short, and stood in front of them. "The shadow monsters are coming." She gulped worriedly, and tears welled up in her eyes in fear. "My father said this happened when the queen died." Her eyes suddenly widened, as if she's just realized something. "Father!" She looked around crowd quickly, scanning through it as much as she could. "Where is he?" Her panting and teary eyes revealed the panic and fear inside her.

"Don't worry," Link tried to calm her down, taking her arm. "We'll help you find him."

Agitha looked at Link with tears in her eyes. "B-but, what about you?"

"You've been so nice to us, Rusl and Fado can wait," Ilia told her, still feeling shaky. They'd never really mentioned Rusl and Fado's names, but they assumed Agitha understood. Though, both of them were probably going crazy looking for them, and were probably confused about the whole trumpet thing. Around the town, people shrieked and ran away from their shops, trying to get to their homes. Link, Ilia, and Agitha just stood there, watching the commotion and silently praying that everything would be alright.

"Link! Ilia!" At the sound of their names, both of them quickly turned around. Rusl and Fado were both running towards them with a worried look on their face. As soon as they saw them, they collided together in a big group hug.

"We were so worried about you!" Fado said, feeling relieved they had found them. The city was immense, and it was easy for them to get lost.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Rusl sighed, both of his hands on their shoulders. "What's going on? We need to go!"

"Wait," Link stopped him before they could flee. "We need to help Agitha!"

"Who?" Rusl asked. Ilia hurried to Agitha's side, who was trembling all over in nervousness. She took her hand and led her to Rusl.

"Agitha has been helping us ever since we came," Ilia explained quickly to him, trying to be as brief as possible. "She says that the trumpet means the shadow beasts are coming, and she can't find her father." Agitha looked up at Rusl, and covered her face, sobbing. She was scared to death, and Ilia just put an arm around her, failing as she tried to comfort her.

"What's your father like?" Rusl bent down next to her and tried to look through the small hands that covered the little girl's face.

Agitha sniffed, and attempted to choke out the words. "H-he's tall, and blonde, a-and has blue eyes like me, and he wears glasses." Her little hands wiped the fresh tears that flowed out of her round blue eyes, and she sobbed even more, feeling worse each second. _Wow, this must be a really big deal for the people here,_ Link thought, heartbroken to see anyone else cry.

"Okay, okay," Rusl stood up, and took her hand. "Don't worry, I'll help you." Agitha nodded quickly, said a soft "thank you", and they both went to the east street that led to her house. Fado got closer to Link and Ilia, not wanting to lose them out of sight. He pulled them both closer so they wouldn't get lost in the commotion. The villagers were still running and screaming in horror; doors and windows were being locked, mothers clutched to their children who cried desperately, and everyone was shoving each other as they tried to escape.

Link turned around, watching everybody run, when suddenly, something caught his eye. Squinting, he looked straight at the castle, trying to figure out what was wrong with the picture. Right behind the huge towers, a dark cloud was rising. It was the darkest of blacks, and it was slowly smothering the top of the castle, covering it completely. The shadow spread down below, and was starting to make its way to the town. Link widened his eyes, and nudged Ilia to see it. She turned around, covered her mouth, and gasped.

"Out of the way!" someone shouted from the north street. "Everybody out of the way!" Link and Ilia stepped back, and Fado pulled them to the side of the street. Right from the entrance of the castle, a white adorned carriage fled through the gate, guards shouting everywhere as they whipped the horses to go faster and faster.

"Move! Move!" the guards on top of it shouted at the top of their lungs. Everyone quickly made way for the coach to pass, and the horses trotted as fast as they could. A guard whipped them, and the horses whinnied from the distance, getting closer each time.

As it approached, Link and Ilia got back, allowing it to pass in time. As soon as the horses were right next to them, out of nowhere, a fire arrow landed right in front of the stallions, startling them right away. The horses stepped back, whinnying, and started stomping around in fright.

"Watch out!" the guard yelled, and the horses tried to lean forward, not wanting to burn their feet from the fire the arrow had caused. They stopped for a few seconds, with the carriage window right in front of Link and Ilia, facing their direction. The carriage was right next to them, and Ilia could easily look inside the window.

Link suddenly turned around, looked at the window carefully, and froze right in his spot, shocked. He hadn't meant to look inside, but when he did, he couldn't believe his eyes.

Right in front of them was Princess Zelda herself, sitting right there on the seat inside of the carriage. For a small second, the princess turned her head to the side, and they both suddenly locked eyes with each other, frozen. Zelda blinked several times, and Link just stared, not believing anything that was happening. The princess opened her mouth shortly to gasp, when suddenly, a horrible scream was heard from a short distance, making everyone, including Link, Ilia, Fado, and Zelda all turn around.

Another fire arrow was shot, and this time, it landed right on top of the roof of the carriage. The wooden roof was blazing, causing the raging fire to spread everywhere. The guard, noticing the carriage was burning with them inside it, rapidly got down and ran to the door on the side, opening it just in time for the princess to get down without getting caught inside the flames.

Many guards ran in their direction, all of them suddenly surrounding the princess to protect her from the threat that was with them. They were very aware of the expanding cloud of darkness on top of the castle.

Behind them the shadow beasts were crawling in their direction, ready to attack.


	13. Chapter 12: Princess Zelda

**Chapter 12: Princess Zelda**

**A/N: Hello, everybody! Long time, no see! Here's chapter 12, finally. I know it's been like a year already, but I want to thank everyone who has been loyal to this story. I'm so sorry for taking so long, but school's getting pretty heavy :( **** I hope I'll be able to update more frequently.**

**Thank you so much for those who have reviewed! If you have any thoughts, comments, questions, or ideas, do not hesitate on leaving me a review. Feedback is always accepted!**

**Have a great summer, everyone!**

Link felt someone pull his and Ilia's arm out of the way, shouting and yelling at them to run. But he was too stunned at the moment to realize what was happening. Rusl and Fado were dragging them both out of there, while everyone around was screaming and hollering in fear. The shadow beasts were emerging from behind the castle, and one by one, they were all getting closer to town.

As they were running, they halted when a guard fled out of the place, dropping his sword in front of them in the process. Rusl kept moving them to the eastern side of the street, but another arrow fell on the floor in front of them, causing them to jump back in surprise.

"Get back!" yelled Rusl. He hastily pulled the children out of the way, hoping they didn't get hurt. Link tried to loosen the grip on Rusl's arm, but it was too strong.

The young boy looked at the floor, noticing the silver blade the guard had dropped for the first time. Without letting anyone know, he quickly picked it up from the ground, hiding it behind his back so Rusl wouldn't see it.

"Rusl!" Fado called. Rusl turned his head around immediately at the sound of his name. "Over there!" Fado pointed to the west street, as if to motion him to run there.

Rusl nodded, and the four of them briskly scrambled their way out of the commotion, and fled through the west street. They scurried as fast as they could, getting further away from the place each second. No citizens were in that area; everyone was either in the south, the center, or leaving town. Finally, they stopped to catch their breath, each one of them panting. They were completely alone, standing right in front of the western gate that lead to Hyrule Field.

"Where's Agitha?" Link nervously asked Rusl.

"He and her father are already leaving town," Rusl explained, making Ilia sigh in relief at the thought of the little girl. "Don't worry."

"D-did we lose them?" Ilia asked, a panicked look on her face. "The monsters?"

Rusl shook his head, wiping the sweat out of his forehead. "Not at all. We're still in town."

Ilia gasped, holding back a sob. Never in her life had she felt so scared and helpless, as if she were trapped. Link noticed his friend's discomfort in no time, and instantly walked to her side. Ilia smiled at him, glad her friend was always there for her, but her eyes still showed fear. Link just took her hand, and smiled back.

"It'll be okay," he told her softly, his voice cracking. "Don't worry." Butterflies fluttered inside Ilia's stomach, and she felt her face blush slightly. No matter how bad things were, Link always knew how to make her feel better.

"Your highness, this way!"

Suddenly, Rusl, Fado, Link, and Ilia all turned their heads in the direction of the voice. It was a castle guard, a tall one, followed by another shorter one, both of them pulling someone by the hands.

Ilia gasped, and Link's jaw dropped, both with their eyes popping out of their heads. The two guards were taking Princess, running closer and closer. But when they were about to turn to the passage on the right, a huge shadow beast, bigger than any other, sprung right on their faces.

"Ahhh!" the guards yelled, leaping back at the horrible sight of the beast, with the princess behind them. The creature's body was black with glowing marks on its limbs, and it stood crouched on both feet in an attack mode. Its face was covered with a shield-like mask, and hair stood out of it, with a red-pink symbol glowing from the center of its tattooed body.

The creature was just hideous, and everyone froze completely when it let out the most horrifying cry into the sky, with its masked head tilted upwards. The guards trembled in front of the beast, but they were both too scared to walk forward and fight it, even if their job was to protect the princess at all costs. They kept glancing at each other, but neither could manage to step forward and confront the evil creature.

Slowly, they began to walk out of its way, forgetting their job, and in a second they were running away for safety. Princess Zelda stood there, incredulous that her guards had left her there. Just _what _were they thinking? Although she was shaking, in her face was a fierce glare that bore straight into the monster. She knew she had to be strong, but inside, she was terrified.

Rusl, Fado, Link and Ilia ran to the side of the street to get out of the beast's way, hiding in the alley. Link just stared at the creature, motionless, and Ilia couldn't stop gawking at it, as if the fear had paralyzed her.

The creature howled again, and with a snap, Link broke out of his trance. He saw Rusl, Fado, and Ilia huddled in a corner. Then he saw the princess standing alone in the middle of the street. Snarling, their foe moved forward, his eyes fixed on the princess.

Link let out a gasp. If they didn't do something about the monster, it would finish them right there, right now! Link knew that even if he tried to attack it, the beast would attack Zelda before he could defeat it. He looked over at Ilia again, to see if she was conscious.

Fortunately, Ilia gazed back at him, and gave him a look as if asking "what do we do?" Link turned to the monster, and then looked at the princess.

"Get her out of the way," he said to Ilia in a low voice. "I'll get behind the monster." Ilia blinked. _Does he want me to move the princess before so he can attack the beast?_ she thought. Maybe that was what he meant, so she nodded at him to let him know she understood, and inched closer to the princess.

Link held the guard's blade with his left hand, and while everyone else was too stunned to move, he made his way towards the monster and crouched behind it. Nobody had noticed he was moving, fortunately. Meanwhile, Ilia hurried to the princess's side. The creature was now facing the two girls, its back towards Link. Rusl's heart almost leapt out of its place when he saw the children there, and he jumped in surprise. Fado was about to shout at them, but paused. He knew that if he shouted, the beast would be alerted, and it would attack them.

Link saw his chance, and with a deep breath, readied himself for the action.

_One…_

He stepped forward, with his blade in hand, ready to strike the glowing head of the beast.

_Two…_

He lifted his sword in the air at the same time that Ilia pulled Zelda, just when the creature was about to leap.

_Three!_

Link jumped in the air, both hands holding the hilt firmly, and letting out a cry, he stabbed the creature right on its back. Pulling the sword out, he rolled to the side and stabbed it on the head. The sharp sword stung on the skull of the beast, making it cry out in agony. Link was on top of its back with the sword in his hands, burying it even deeper. The shadow beast flailed its limbs in every direction, trying to get Link off its back for causing the searing pain. Noticing it was useless, he gave out a final howl and fell flat on the ground.

Ilia had already pulled the princess right out of her spot, and had dragged her as far away as possible. If she hadn't gotten her out of there, the beast would've surely caught her. Even if Link had lunged at it, it would've been too late.

Link sighed wearily, his arms aching, and finally let go off the sword's hilt. Panting, he stumbled off the back of the beast and planted his feet on the ground, staring at the dead monster on the floor. He shook his head in realization. _I defeated a monster,_ he thought, not believing himself. _I actually defeated a shadow beast_. He couldn't believe what he had done, and just stared at the creature in shock. Behind him Zelda and Ilia were gawking.

"Link!" Ilia shouted. The boy snapped his attention to Ilia. "Your hand!"

Confused, Link lifted his left hand, and suddenly his eyes grew wide, astounded. The triforce tattooed on it was glowing again. The golden light flashed brightly everywhere, making him squint. He gazed at the triforce mark in awe. The last time something like this had happened, he had saved Ilia from a monster and had nearly died trying. That was the same time he had spoken to Farore in his dream.

When she called him a hero.

Ilia's jaw dropped all the way to the floor, and Zelda's surprised eyes didn't leave his. Link looked back at his hand, which was now glowing a little fainter, and shook his head. What did this mean? What if he really was the hero?

"Link…" Ilia walked towards him, still amazed from what just happened. Link stared deeply into her eyes for a few seconds, then he looked past her shoulder. The princess was still there. He quickly shook himself and went to her.

"Your highness." Link bowed down in respect, and Ilia did the same, a feeling of intimidation crawling through them. However, the princess just smiled, already used to everyone recognizing her high authority. She went to the town a lot, so whenever her carriage passed by, or whenever she walked with her guards, everyone would bow at her.

"Please, don't," she said, motioning for them to stand properly. They both looked at each other hesitantly, but stood up anyway. To their surprise, the princess bowed back at _them_.

"You saved my life," she said, her eyes closed. "I will be forever grateful to both of you."

Link blushed, and looked down at the floor. Ilia couldn't help but smile. Out of all the possible things that could've happened in their journey to Castle Town, she had never expected to meet the princess!

"It was nothing, your highness," Link said softly when she opened her eyes. Ilia just nodded, not sure how to answer.

"Call me Zelda," the princess told him, waving off the royal title. "And you are?"

"I'm Link," he answered.

"And I'm Ilia," Ilia said, trying to keep her voice steady.

Zelda looked down at Link's hand, which had already stopped glowing.

"You have the triforce," she gasped. She said it as if it was the most honorable thing in the world.

Link nodded, lifting his hand up again. "I don't know what it means, though."

Zelda quickly looked took off her long pink glove. "Look." She lifted her hand up. Right there on the back of her palm, another triforce, exactly identical as Link's, was tattooed.

Suddenly, without thinking, the children raised hands together and united them. The two triforces began to glow simultaneously, shining even brighter than before. The light glowed everywhere, something Zelda had never seen before. Ilia covered her eyes from the light, gasping, and Link and Zelda quickly separated their hands, both shocked from what had happened.

"How did…" Ilia was staring in astonishment, shaking her head as she processed what just happened.

"I have no idea," Zelda looked at Ilia, both girls sharing the same look of surprise. "I have never seen anything like this before."

"I have the triforce of courage," Link said.

The princess turned to him. "I have the triforce of wisdom."

Ilia just stood there, not knowing what to say. But when she was about to comment, she stopped abruptly, and looked at them. But this time, _really_ looked at them. First, she stared at Link. His hair was a very dirty blonde, his fair skin just a little tanned from the time spent working in the stables under the sun, and he had round blue eyes, pointy ears, and other attractive features. Then she looked at Zelda's face. She had his same blue eyes, except hers were a little more cat-like, her skin was also fair, and her hair was so dirty blonde, it looked brown. Her face also had Link's same attractive features.

Ilia blinked. Could it really be? No, it was impossible. Link had said so himself! But what other explanation was there? Well, many things could've happened that day. The fact that they were born the same day as Zelda was just a coincidence, right? But what about the triforce? She gasped.

Link and Zelda both quickly turned their heads towards her. "What?"

"You two…" she gulped down, feeling a knot tie in her throat. It couldn't be, it just couldn't! But it _had_ to be. Agitha's story made perfect sense. The day had been crazy enough anyway!

She turned to Link. "Link, remember Agitha's story?"

Link nodded slowly, already knowing where this was going. "Yeah…"

"You're the one." At first Ilia didn't believe what she was saying. But when the words came out of her mouth, she realized just how true they were. She didn't know how she knew, but she just _knew_. Could Link really be the _prince_ of _Hyrule_? Could her lifelong best friend really be part of the royal family?

Zelda had a puzzled look on her face. "What do you mean?"

Link and Ilia exchanged glances, deciding if they should tell her. Ilia spoke. "Did your father, I mean, the king, I mean his highness, you know…"

"My father?" Zelda smiled.

"Did he ever tell you about your mother?" Ilia gulped, hating to pry on the princess's personal life, and Zelda felt a knot tie in her throat. She didn't really like talking about her mother, but if she had to mention her, she would.

"She died when I was a baby," she told them. Zelda closed her eyes as she recalled. "My father said she was being chased by shadow beasts that night, and she escaped to Hyrule Field."

Suddenly, she opened her eyes in realization. "He said I had a twin brother that she took with her. Then she was brought back here, already dead, and nobody knew what happened to him."

She turned to Link, looking right into his eyes. "Do you really think…?"

Link shook his head. "My adoptive mom, Uli, said my mom's name was Annika. She said she died the night they found me, and it was too late to save her."

"Link," Zelda's face was pale. "My mother's name was Annika. We're the same age. You were found in the _exact same way_ my brother went missing. And if that's not enough proof, we have the triforce in our hands! It _has_ to be, Link. I can feel it."

Ilia was already bouncing up and down. "Link, you're the prince! You two are siblings! Oh my goddesses!"

Link and Zelda were smiling without realizing it. It was true, then! Finally, after all these years! _Thank you, Farore_, Link sent a silent prayer to the goddess.

"I can't believe it," Link said softly, barely able to breathe. "It's actually true."

"We have to tell Rusl!" Ilia exclaimed. Then, she stopped bouncing. "Wait. Where's Rusl?"

They all look around the street, scanning every corner. Rusl and Fado had completely disappeared out of their sight. They were nowhere to be seen.

"Where are they?" Ilia whispered. Her heart started racing.

"Maybe they escaped," Zelda's voice sounded doubtful, but they all knew it wasn't true.

"Well, we have to find them," Link stated, facing them both. Determination had sparked in his blue eyes.

The princess nodded. "I believe most people have already escaped town, but the beasts might still be lurking around. We must be careful, just in case."

Link and Ilia both agreed, and the three children took off to find them.


	14. Chapter 13: The Escape

**A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! And a happy new year! I hope you all enjoyed your holidays :D Here's Chapter 13 as a Christmas present (finally!)**

**Chapter 13: The Escape**

With every small, wary step they took, the sky slowly grew more opaque and obscure as the afternoon passed. It was still early, about one or two o'clock, but the arrival and curse of the shadow beasts had caused the black cloud on top of the castle to expand and cover the entire city. As the cloud spread out, more and more twilight was rising from the sky. Link, Ilia, and Zelda had hidden in a small alley where the shadow beasts wouldn't see them.

"They have to be inside the castle," Zelda told both of them. "The beasts have probably kidnapped them and taken them to the dungeons."

"So, you think we should go inside?" Ilia gulped. She looked at Link, who nodded.

"But we have to be very careful," Link said. He turned his head towards the floating cloud of twilight above the castle. Again, he felt that unusual shiver run down his spine. Was this the reason why twilight had made him so uncomfortable? It's as if he had already known bad things happened in it…

Zelda nodded in agreement. "I can show you the way to the dungeons. But first we have to find a way to get inside without getting caught."

The kids quickly put together a plan that would help them get through. It wasn't very long, but it was enough to help them get inside.

Link, Zelda, and Ilia walked quietly and slowly to the castle gate. They stayed as close as they could to the walls, and since they were small, it was harder for the shadow beasts to spot them. When they finally got through the central square, they headed for the gates. Once they passed them, two shadow beasts saw them and screeched loudly.

Ilia gasped and Zelda automatically took a step back. Link went forward with his eyes narrowed in determination, and struck the beast on the head with the guard's sword. The beast howled and took a step back, so Link took the chance and hit the other one below the neck. As both of them moaned, he made a horizontal slice and defeated both of them at the same time. He turned to the girls to let them know it was safe.

Ilia sighed. _What would we ever do without him?_ She wondered. He was so brave and strong, and sometimes she wished she were like him. The three of them kept going forward, and entered the vast garden in front of the castle. Monsters lurked everywhere; Shadow Beasts, twilit bulbins, keese, baba, and shadow kargaroc.

The kids crawled to the fountain in the center, hiding behind barrels and any other things they could find. Link occasionally defeated a small monster now and then, but they managed to get to the front door of the castle without being noticed. Quickly, they opened the front door without making any noise. Luckily, it was open.

The princess motioned for them to follow her, and they went inside the Castle. Zelda led them through some long corridors, trying to go as fast as she could before any monster could attack them. _How can she memorize all these passages?_ Ilia thought. The Castle was _huge._

They went inside a big room with portraits and paintings on the walls and a fancy red carpet decorating the floor. There were three bulbins roaming around, and they all screeched when they saw the humans. There were also many keese fluttering around.

Ilia jumped forward and got in front of the princess, as if she had an instinct of protection even though the princess didn't look as scared. Link ran forward and slashed every single bulbin, killing them instantly. After having a small experience with a bulbin a few years back, and after fighting a shadow beast, bulbins weren't that hard. The keese were annoying and hurt him a little, but he managed to get rid of them.

Zelda continued to lead them through crazy passages and more corridors that led into big rooms with secret staircases. They kept going lower and lower until they finally got to the last floor. The princess stopped in front of a large, rusty, ancient-looking door.

"This is the entrance to the dungeon," Zelda told them. She bent down and turned over the brown rug on the floor, revealing a small key. Then she took the key and opened the door, and the others walked inside.

Inside, it wasn't very pleasant. Even with the lights on, the place was dark, it reeked of rotten food, and the floor was filthy with whatever was stuck on it.

Zelda gasped when she saw the room. The cells were full with prisoners and people that lived in the town. These people were innocent, she was _sure _of that. There were very few who were actually criminals and had been there before, but most of them were the peaceful citizens of the town that had been taken away by the shadow beasts. Just _how_ had the beasts manage to imprison them? Were they receiving help or orders from someone superior? Did they have a sort of leader or higher power?

As soon as everyone saw the princess, they all gasped and cried in joy. Little kids reached out their arms through the bars, and a feeling of hope suddenly filled everybody's hearts.

"Your highness!"

"She's alive!"

"The princess!"

"She's come to save us!"

There were cries of elation coming from every cell. Seeing their leader again made them all feel relieved and safe. Zelda raised both of her arms, and the whole dungeon quieted down. It impressed Link and Ilia how a simple motion demonstrated so much power.

"My people," Zelda spoke loudly and clearly for everyone to listen. "It makes me very, very happy to see you alive and well." She was smiling, but her smile quickly started to fade away. "I need you to listen to me well right now, for I need your cooperation."

She motioned her hand for everyone to look at Link and Ilia. "These are Link and Ilia from Ordon Village. They have been helping me all this time, and they aided me while get inside the castle as well." Link blushed and looked at the floor, and Ilia also blushed a little and smiled.

Zelda continued. "We will get all of you out of these cells." There was a sigh of relief and gratitude coming from everyone in the cells. "Ilia will unlock the cells and Link will cut your chains. After that I will lead everyone out."

Everyone was crying from the happiness they felt, when suddenly they heard a new voice.

"L-link? I-ilia?" a soft, faint voice sounded in front of them. It was very far away, but they could hear it.

"Rusl? Fado?" Link called, trying not to be too loud. They had to be here somewhere, locked inside the cells. Link and Ilia immediately rushed forward at the sound of the voice.

Zelda followed behind, not wanting to separate from them.

"Link! Ilia!" They both turned their heads to the sound of the voice. "Over here!"

Ilia gasped and smiled widely, rushing to the cell in front of them with Link behind her. Inside were Rusl, Fado, Agitha, and a tall blonde man with glasses. Each of them had a chain on their ankle, which was attached to something on the wall.

Rusl smiled, looking happy, relieved, and more than elated to see the kids. Fado tried to stand up, but the chain on his ankle wouldn't let him walk. Agitha gasped, and was already bouncing up and down.

"Link, Ilia!" Rusl said contently. "You're safe!"

"When the monsters captured us, we thought they had taken you too," Fado told them.

"I'm so glad to see you all!" Ilia said, beaming.

"You came!" Agitha exclaimed with a grin. "You came to save us, right?"

Link nodded with a smile, glad to see his family, and friend, again. "We'll get you out of here."

"What happened to you?" Ilia asked them. "What did the monsters do to you?" She couldn't help but worry for her loved ones.

"We're alright, and that's all that matters," Rusl assured her. "You don't have to worry anymore."

Link turned to the little girl. "Agitha, I thought you had escaped. What happened?"

"We tried," the tall man with glasses said. "But we were captured by shadow beasts."

Agitha nodded. "This is my father. We tried to run away, but we were thrown in the dungeon."

"Nice to meet you," Link and Ilia both said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you too," Agitha's father said. "And thank you for helping my daughter."

"Zelda helped us too," Link said. Right away, Fado and Agitha both gave him surprised looks, and Rusl looked like he wanted to reprimand him. Did they all seem startled at the fact that Link called the princess by her name instead of referring to her as "her highness" or "her majesty"?

"It's nice to finally meet you all," Zelda said with a smile. "But we need to get you and everyone else out before the monsters come back."

They all nodded in understanding and allowed Zelda to step forward and unlock the cell with the small key. Link went inside the cell and broke the chains with the sword, since they weren't really strong.

Zelda handed the rest of the keys to Ilia, who quickly went from cell to cell opening the doors. Link went with her to break the chains attached to the people. Once they went through the whole dungeon freeing everybody, they exited it through the door and went out.

"Follow me," Zelda told them, and they all hurried behind her. Link, Ilia, Rusl, Fado, Agitha, and Agitha's dad went closely behind her.

"Wait," Rusl stopped them, making everyone halt in their place. "What about the king?"

Ilia gasped, and the Link shook his heads in disbelief. How could they have _forgotten_ about him? What if the king was in trouble?

"He escaped in one of the carriages," Zelda told them before they could do anything. "Just like I did, or at least tried to do."

"I see, your highness," Rusl said in understanding. "Where were the carriages heading, may I ask?"

"Father said we were going to meet near the entrance of Termina," Zelda told him. "He should be there already."

"Very well, then," Rusl said, and they continued to exit the castle.

…

To their surprise, most of the shadow beasts were already gone when they were outside. Link had killed some monsters on their way out, but most of them were bulbins and keese. Outside, he had defeated a few baba and a kargaroc. Whenever he fought against a monster, everyone was impressed. Of course, he didn't realize it.

"Strange," the princess stated once they were outside. "Where could they have all gone?"

"There are no more shadow beasts," Ilia said in surprise. "What happened?"

"We can't really be sure," Zelda said. This was getting stranger and stranger every time. She turned to the rest of the people. "I don't know where the monsters left, but for now I need you to return to your homes and stay there. Lock your doors, close your windows, and don't come out unless it's necessary. I will send word to my father so he can return and help us."

Even with the Zelda being so young, everyone obeyed her orders and returned to their houses without hesitation. They all thanked the princess before leaving and walked cautiously back home.

"Your highness," Agitha's father bowed in front of Zelda. "I must thank you for helping all of us return."

Zelda smiled. "I'll do whatever is necessary to protect my people. For now, return home with your daughter and stay there until my father arrives. I wish you the best."

He nodded, and took a step back so Agitha could bow and thank her too. Agitha said goodbye to Link and Ilia, crying at the thought of having to go. She felt miserable watching her new friends leave, since they were really the only ones in Castle Town who had actually _been_ her friend. But she was happy to be back with her father. Link smiled, and couldn't help but feel happy for both of them. It must feel great to see your mom or dad after such a long time.

Something Link would probably never feel for himself.

"Well, we should get back to Ordon too," Rusl said. "Our carriage is still at the inn."

Fado turned to him. "How about we go get the carriage and the kids stay here for a while? I think it's safe enough now."

Rusl nodded and looked at the kids. "Link, Ilia, I need you both to stay here with the princess while Fado and I get the carriage. Don't move from this spot, okay?"

The kids nodded, and they watched Rusl and Fado go to the inn.

Ilia sighed, smiling as she imagined the familiar scent of the trees in Ordon, the fresh smell of Epona, and most of all the collective peace among the villagers. They were finally going home. Home, where they belonged.

"Where will you be going?" Link asked Zelda. "Are you heading to Termina to reunite with your father?"

"I believe I'll be staying here with some of the guards," Zelda told them. "Then I'll send a letter to my father and wait until he returns."

"We'll be going back to Ordon now," Ilia said, sounding a little sad at leaving the princess.

Zelda smiled at her. "I hope I see both of you some day. You have really helped me."

"Well, it was Link who did most of the work," Ilia laughed, making Link blush.

"It was nothing," he said shyly. Both of the girls laughed at poor Link, who shrugged with a bashful smile.

Suddenly, Link remembered something. "Wait, what about the king? Will you tell him?"

"About what?" Zelda asked.

"About us being siblings," Link replied.

Zelda seemed to consider this for a while. "Hmm, I don't know. I'm not sure if we should keep it secret or tell everyone about it. If people find out, they will talk about it for months."

Link nodded in agreement. "You're right. But if I tell Rusl, the only ones who could find out about it are the rest of the villagers. Well, I don't know if _they_ know already or if only Rusl and Uli know."

Zelda sighed. "You could tell Rusl, and I could keep the secret from our father. If I tell anyone here, gossip will carry it through the whole town, believe me." _Well, that's true,_ Link thought. News spread quickly in Castle Town. Maybe Zelda was right. Remaining quiet was the best they could do for now.

"So, what will you do?" Zelda asked him.

Link shrugged. "I don't know. I'm still not sure if I should tell anyone, actually."

"Just think it over," Ilia told him with a smile. "It'll be alright."

"Yes," Zelda agreed. "Do not make any decision until you're ready."

Link nodded, and smiled. He probably looked normal to the others, but inside, he was extremely bewildered. How _would_ he tell everyone? What would they think? Would everyone judge him for his decision, which ever it was?

"Link! Ilia!" Rusl called. The kids turned their heads in attention. "It's time to go."

Their hearts dropped in sadness, not wanting to leave Zelda all alone. But they had to return home with their family, and let the king take his decisions.

Link smiled sadly, and gave Zelda a hug, who looked just as sorrowful. "Goodbye."

He took a step back, letting Ilia give Zelda a hug. A tear ran down her cheek. "Goodbye."

Zelda smiled despite her unhappiness. "Goodbye."

Rusl bowed at her with respect and gratitude. "Farewell, princess. Thank you for all of your help. I wish you safety and the best of luck."

"Thank you, Rusl," she smiled and bowed back. "But I believe luck doesn't exist. It is destiny that shapes the outcome of life. Fate guides your way."

Rusl nodded at her wise words, and smiled. Fado then bowed at her, still a little in awe that the princess was standing in front of them.

They all turned and left to the wagon, saying goodbye to her on the way.

Rusl and Fado whipped the horses lightly, and with a whinny, they trotted through the South Gate of Castle Town, going straight to Ordon.

…

Uli sat down on her dining room chair, gazing through the window. She sighed, wondering just _when_ Rusl would return. He had sent a letter from Castle Town earlier, but it was getting very late, and traveling at night was dangerous. She couldn't help worrying about him and the kids.

She shook her head, still not believing Link and Ilia had actually snuck in the wagon before leaving. When Link returned, he was sure going to get scolded! But she missed the little boy so much, she was sure she would forget being angry at him the second she saw him.

"Mommy?" Colin's soft voice made Uli snap out of her thoughts. She hadn't even noticed the little boy was clinging to her arm, saying one of the few words he had already learned to say.

"What is it, Colin?" Uli asked her son gently.

"Where is Daddy?" Colin asked, his blue eyes big and wide, waiting for a response. "And Link and Ilia?"

"They'll be coming soon, don't worry," Uli assured him, even though she was very concerned. Word had quickly spread about the attack at Castle Town, and even though Rusl had told them they were fine, she was still worried.

In fact, she couldn't believe they had survived such an attack! Shadow beasts almost never appeared like that; the last time they were seen was when…

The front door swung open. Startled, Uli stood up quickly and stared at the door.

"Rusl!" she exclaimed, and ran towards her husband with happiness. Rusl walked inside, Link following behind. Uli hugged Rusl, who returned the embrace tightly, while Uli sighed.

"I'm so glad you're back," she said, and then pulled back.

"I'm glad to be home too," Rusl told her with a smile. Colin immediately ran to his father happily, and Rusl picked him up and hugged him.

Uli then caught Link in an even bigger hug, and held him for what seemed like forever. "I missed you all so much." She let go off Link and remembered everything that had happened. "Link, are you hurt? Did something bad happen? Are you okay?" She started checking his arms to see if he was injured.

"I'm okay, Uli," Link said with a smile. "And we missed you too."

"Oh, Link," Uli sighed, looking at him in the eyes. "Promise me you'll never sneak away like that again."

"I'm sorry," Link said, feeling bad for making her worry so much. "I promise I won't do it again."

Uli put her arms around him again, this time not wanting to let go. Link hugged her back closely, finally feeling like he was at home, with his family. _This_ was his home. His family was _here._ And had never felt better anywhere than here, where he belonged.


	15. Chapter 14: Confusion

**A/N: Thank you to all of those who are still reading and reviewing this story! Here's chapter 14!**

**Chapter 14: Confusion**

_Link opened his eyes slowly, still feeling sleepy after everything that had happened to Ilia and him. He didn't want to open his eyes; he felt too tired and exhausted to make even the slightest effort. But there was something bright shining on his face, as if telling him to open them. Link refused to get up at first, but the light shone brighter. Giving up, he opened his eyes and gasped._

_The grass he lay on was the greenest he had ever seen, the sky was a radiant, deep blue, and little birds chirped and flew above him, landing charmingly at his feet. In front of him was a huge palace with a fountain of three women holding their arms up in the air. This place was so familiar…_

_This was the place he had dreamed of when he was eight! It was the day he had saved Ilia at the forest! It had to be that very same place. So, was he dreaming?_

_Link stood up, looking around at the beautiful scenery. Then, he turned around, and gasped again, his eyes wide in surprise. Without hesitating, he bowed._

"_Welcome back, hero." Farore smiled warmly at him, standing gracefully with her bright green hair floating around her waist and her emerald eyes gazing down on him._

_Link stood up, and smiled at the goddess. It had been so long since he had been in the Sacred Realm. It all still seemed unreal!_

"_I am very proud of you, young one," the goddess told him kindly. "You have proven yourself worthy from saving the princess from the shadow beasts."_

_Link smiled, slightly dropping his gaze shyly, and shrugged. "I did what I could." He lifted his eyes again and looked at her. "The princess is my sister."_

_Farore nodded. "The last time we spoke I mentioned you would meet your family, child. You were very brave and have once again proved yourself worthy."_

"_What about Ilia?" Link asked, never forgetting about his friend._

"_She played a very important role too," Farore smiled. "But know that even though the beasts are departing, more trouble will come once again. This was not your last fight."_

"_But, what if I'm not ready when that happens?" Link asked. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint the goddess. "How will I know I'm ready?"_

"_You will know it when you are, young one," Farore told him. "Let time play its part. Only with time you will know."_

_Link smiled. "Thank you. For helping me."_

"_Believe in your strengths, hero," the green goddess said. "And all will be well."_

_Link nodded. "And what about Zel…"_

_The ground began to shake. It shook violently, sending Link to the ground. Panicked and confused, he looked around as the realm trembled under his feet, and saw everything crumbling apart. Suddenly, he heard a laugh. An evil laugh. _

_Link looked at Farore with frightened eyes, and the goddess gasped. She didn't look scared, instead her eyes were narrowed in an icy glare. It was as if she knew what was going on, and the fact that it bothered her made Link feel more scared than he was. _

_Well, this was still a dream, right? It was his imagination. Or was it? The last time it had been real, but could it be real this time? Once again, Link heard the sinister laugh. It echoed ominously around the room, making Link shake in fear. _

"_So you're the one who calls himself a hero?"_

_Link jumped back, startled, and looked around the room desperately at the sound of the disturbing voice that had spoken to him. He urgently turned to Farore, who had shut her still narrowed eyes and shook her head._

"_What's going on?" Link asked weakly, his voice cracking._

_The evil voice spoke again. "You destroyed my minions. I'll let you know, that wasn't very clever."_

_Farore opened her eyes with a glare. "Ganondorf, leave this realm now."_

"_Who's Ganondorf?" Link was now really desperate for an answer. He didn't want to sound rude in front of the goddess, but he was both bewildered and frightened._

"_This isn't over, boy," the evil man threatened. "You may have eliminated my beasts, but I will be back."_

_The ground shook harder._

"_Link, you must leave now," the goddess told the boy. There was anger, but also concern in her eyes._

"_But what about you?" Link couldn't help asking._

"_My sisters and I will deal with him," Farore said. "I will send you out." She lifted her right hand and placed it on his head. The glow of the triforce emanated from the back of her hand and surrounded Link._

"_Do not think you have completely saved Zelda," the ominous man said._

"_Wait!" Link shouted, but the realm was already growing dim in front of his eyes. _

"_Do not worry, child," Farore said. "All will be well." The place was already disappearing, growing fainter every second._

"_Don't leave!" Link yelled. But it was too late. He was panting, the ground still quaked violently beneath him, the malevolent man's laughter was echoing deeply inside his ears, and the goddess was receding further and further away. Link struggled to get back into the realm, but it was too late…_

"_Link!" someone called faintly. Link looked around the vanishing place. He could see the goddess fading away, but she wasn't calling him._

"_Link!" This time the call was stronger, and more urgent. Link tried to make out who was calling his name, but he couldn't see anything. He closed his eyes._

…

"_Link!"_

Link's eyes snapped open. He blinked several times, trying to clear out the blurriness around him. The young boy realized he was shaking, face covered in sweat. He felt a hand on his forehead, and looked up to see Uli's worried face above his.

"Link, are you alright?" Uli asked him. She looked really, really tired.

Link tried to sit up, feeling puzzled, and looked at Uli. "Yeah, I'm fine." He gulped at his lie. He wasn't fine. Farore had just kicked him out of her realm to protect him from whoever had entered his dreams without permission. Just who _was_ that man?

Uli sighed, looking a little relieved. "You were tossing and turning while you slept, and then you started sweating and panting. You were even moaning and making noises."

Link looked down. "I just had a bad dream."

"What was it about?" Uli asked, always caring for the little boy. But Link couldn't tell her. He couldn't tell anyone about his dreams with the goddess; they were too personal.

Anyone except Ilia, of course.

"I'd rather not talk about it," Link tried to tell her, not wanting to make her feel bad.

"Oh," Uli said understandingly. "That's alright. If you're willing to talk it about it later, though, I'll be here, okay?"

Link nodded, and stood up from the bed. He stretched for a few minutes, and then headed for the closet to put on his usual shirt, pants, and sandals. After he changed he went for the door.

"Where are you going?" Uli asked him.

"To Ilia's house," Link called, and shut the door behind him.

In a few minutes Link had already arrived at his best friend's house, and was knocking on the door. Ilia answered immediately.

"Hi!" she greeted him with a smile.

"Hey," Link grinned, happy to see her again.

"Come inside," Ilia opened the door wider, allowing Link to walk inside. "Did you eat breakfast already?"

Link shook his head, and placed his hand on his stomach. It growled loudly; he realized he was actually very hungry. He sat down on the dinner table, and Ilia quickly brought him a plate with scrambled eggs, some bread, and goat milk.

She laughed as Link quickly gobbled his food, and sat across from him. "My dad went out early, but he left the breakfast ready."

"Thanks," Link told her, and drank some of his milk. He put the glass down and looked at Ilia. "I had a dream of Farore again."

Ilia gasped, her eyes wide in surprise. "Really?

Link nodded. He told her his dream again; he mentioned how they were talking, and suddenly a man's voice interrupted them and the ground shook, and how Farore sent Link out of the Sacred Realm. Ilia listened closely until he was finished, and gasped again.

"I can't believe it," she said in awe. "Could this mean something?"

Link shrugged. "I don't know."

"Hmm…" Ilia sat down across from him, and rested her head on her hands in thought. "When was the last time you had a dream like that?"

"When I was eight," Link told her. "The day I rescued you from the forest."

"Oh," Ilia nodded, recalling the moment two years ago. "And yesterday, you defeated a lot of monsters and helped the princess."

Link nodded. He kept eating his food and listened to Ilia.

"I think this _could_ mean something important," Ilia told him. "What if Farore is sending you those dreams every time you do something, I don't know, heroic?"

Link laughed and blushed at the word _heroic._ "Heroic? Do you really think so?"

Ilia laughed with him, and mentally sighed at his cuteness whenever he felt shy. "Okay, if you don't want me to use the word _heroic,_ then maybe I could use _brave?_"

Link nodded in agreement with a smile. "Sure, you could say _brave._" He still felt embarrassed whenever anyone congratulated him about anything. And he _knew_ Ilia could tell whenever he felt embarrassed because they knew each other so well. After all, she was his best friend, and she was the person he most trusted.

Link sighed. "You know, I still haven't thought about telling Rusl and Uli that Zelda's my sister."

"Well, it doesn't sound easy," Ilia agreed. "Imagine how they would react if you suddenly said that Zelda was actually your twin sister?"

"Yeah," Link nodded. He took another sip from his milk, and suddenly stopped when he realized something. "Wait, what if they already _know?_"

"What do you mean?" Ilia asked, cocking her head to the side. "Like, what if they already know that Zelda's your sister?"

"Yes," Link said. "When I asked Uli what she knew about my parents, she seemed really hesitant about telling me some things. And she did say my mom's name was Annika."

"And if Uli was there when she found you and your mom, then she _had _to see her face."

"And if she saw her face, then she would've realized she was…"

"Then queen," Ilia finished softly.

Link's head was going in circles. Did Rusl and Uli know about Zelda? Had they been hiding his identity all this time? If they knew, then why didn't they ever tell him about it? Was he too young to know? He dropped his face on his hands and groaned.

"This is all so confusing," he told Ilia, who nodded with an understanding look.

"I know, I know," she said, sighing. _Poor Link,_ she thought. _He must be really going through something._

Link finally lifted his face. "What should I do?"

Ilia met his gaze immediately. "I don't know, but we'll figure this out. I promise." Sure, it could take a while, but they would try.

Ilia smiled at Link, who smiled back at her. He was so glad to have a friend like her. She was always helping him out and sticking up for him. Link couldn't imagine how it would be like if his best friend wasn't her.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Ilia quickly sprang up from her chair and went to the kitchen. She returned swiftly with a paper in her hand, and placed it in front of Link.

"What's this?" he asked.

"A letter from Zelda," Ilia told him. "I can't believe I forgot to mention it! It arrived with a dove on the window in my dad's office. She probably sent it here because my dad's the mayor." She shrugged, and Link unfolded the letter.

_Dear Link and Ilia,_

_I can't explain how grateful I am that you helped me and the citizens of Castle Town yesterday. I'm in the castle with my father. He arrived safely from Termina before my wagon could reach his. In fact, we met on the road and both returned to Castle Town at the same time. I haven't mentioned you two to him yet, and I want to know if it's okay for me to tell him about you. Also, I wanted to let you know that the guards have been patrolling outside and found no trace of the monsters. It's strange how they could've left so quickly. What I believe is that the cloud of twilight that was on the castle was only temporal; just a quick attack, nothing too serious. We're already working on the reparations of the town and on anything else that needs fixing. Again, thank you!_

_Sincerely,_

_Princess Zelda of Hyrule_

"Well, that's good news," Link smiled. "We should probably answer soon."

"She writes and speaks so formal," Ilia said randomly, and Link laughed. "What? It's true! How are we supposed to answer a letter so formally written?"

Link shrugged. "I have no idea."

Link and Ilia quickly turned their heads towards the sound of the door opening, and saw Bo walk inside with Rusl. Discretely, Link folded the paper again and put it under his plate. Bo and Rusl waved at the kids sitting on the table.

"Good morning," Bo greeted the kids with a grin.

"How's everything going?" Rusl asked them. They walked to the table. "Mind if we sit down?"

"Go ahead," Ilia told them with a smile. The grownups sat down with the children while Link finished his breakfast.

"Do you have anything planned for today?" Rusl asked the kids.

Link shook his head. "Not really."

"Yeah, we're free today," Ilia answered.

"Do you mind if you play with Colin, Beth, and Talo today?" Rusl said. "All of the grownups are going to be busy this afternoon and I need you two to keep the little ones occupied."

Link and Ilia quickly nodded. "Sure," Ilia said, and stretched her hands out. "Where are you all going?"

"We're having a small reunion here at the house," Bo answered, and leaned back on his chair. "They're all coming over after lunch time."

"What's it about?" Ilia asked them, hoping she wasn't being too nosy.

"Well, remember what we're celebrating next month?" Rusl asked with a grin.

Link smiled in excitement when he realized what he meant. "Our birthday."

Ilia gasped. "Oh my goddesses! I completely forgot about that!"

"Yeah, we're turning eleven," Link said with a beam.

"Exactly," Bo laughed. "We have to plan a great party for you, don't you think?"

"So, will you take care of the kids for us?" Rusl asked them.

"Yes!" they both replied without hesitation.

…

"Okay, so you just leave the rod on the water," Link explained to Colin. "And when you see the bobber going down, then you pull it." Link placed his hands on top of Colin's little ones as he held the fishing rod. He wasn't really sure if Colin could actually understand him, since he was only two, but he still tried helping.

Link and Ilia had taken Talo, Beth, and Colin near the river with two of Rusl's old fishing rods. As Link tried to teach Colin how to fish, Ilia was dealing with Talo and Beth. Since Talo was almost four and Beth had just turned five, they had gotten a little impossible.

"I want to use it!" Beth stomped her foot when Ilia gave the fishing rod to Talo.

"Beth, you have to share with Talo," Ilia tried telling her. "He wants to use it too!"

"But I had it first!" Beth protested. She ran over to Talo and tried to snatch it from his hands.

"No!" Talo yelled as he held on to the rod.

_Oh boy…_ Ilia sighed. She turned over to Link and gave him a pleading look that said _help?_ and walked over to the boys and stayed with Colin, while Link went to help the little brats.

"Link!" Beth exclaimed when she saw Link. "Talo took my fishing rod!"

"No, I didn't!" Talo said. "It's my turn already!"

"Beth, Talo, listen," Link told them as gently he could. "You both need to share." He turned to Beth. "Beth, if you already used it, then you should let Talo use it now." Then he looked at Talo. "Talo, when you're done you should give it to Beth."

Both of the kids looked down. "Okay," they said. They didn't want to disappoint Link, since they admired him so much. Ilia watched everything in awe, thinking, how in the world did Link get them to relax? Talo happily went to use the fishing rod, while Beth stayed with Link.

"Link, is it true that your birthday is coming soon?" she asked him as they walked over to Colin and Ilia. "Are you going to have cake? And food? And music? And do you think we could ride Epona?"

She kept babbling to Link, since she seemed to like him so much. Link sat down next to Ilia and watched Colin practice his fishing.

"How do you _do_ it?" Ilia laughed as she asked Link.

"Do what?" Link asked, returning the smile.

"Control those little brats?" Ilia said. She watched Beth go over to Colin and stay with him.

Link laughed, and blushed a little. "Well, I don't know. I just try to stay calm with them." He ran his hand over his dirty blonde hair and smiled shyly.

"Oh well, maybe someday I'll learn how to be calm like you," Ilia said as she leaned back. "At least staying with them for a while will be worth it. Who knows what crazy stuff the grownups are planning for us."

"Yeah, but I'm sure it'll be fun," Link said. All of their birthdays had been great so far. The food was delicious, the decorations were nice, the music was happy, and everything was fun. He could even remember that day when he turned six; Fado had given Epona to them. That was a birthday he wouldn't ever forget, and Ilia probably wouldn't either.

"Link!" They both turned his head to see Colin running towards them. "Look!" He was holding a small, six-inch greengill in his hand. "Look, Ilia!" He waved the fish in front of them.

"Wow, Colin!" Ilia congratulated him. "You already caught a fish by yourself?"

"That's great, Colin!" Link told him. Quickly, Talo and Beth went to see.

"How did you do it?" Talo asked, feeling a little jealous.

"Link tot me," Colin said, having a little trouble with the word "taught".

"Link, can you teach me too?" Talo asked. "And you too, Ilia!"

"And me too!" Beth pleaded. They were both begging the kids, and then jumped with happiness when they said yes.

"This is going to be a looong day," Ilia muttered to Link as the two excited kids pulled them by the arms to the river.


End file.
